Silvan Project to Triple Agricultural Production in Diyarbakır
· Milliyet Ekonomi
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that the 360 billion lira Silvan Project will bring 2.35 million decares of land under irrigation, boosting Diyarbakır's agricultural output to over 7 million tons.
Comprehensive Inspection at Silvan Dam Site
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı visited the Silvan district of Diyarbakır to attend various meetings and inspect ongoing investments on-site. Minister Yumaklı, accompanied by Presidential Strategy and Budget Chairman İbrahim Şenel and AK Party Diyarbakır Deputy Galip Ensarioğlu, visited the massive facilities under rapid construction as part of the Silvan Project. Minister Yumaklı met with workers at the dam body and construction site and received comprehensive information about the latest status from officials. Speaking after the inspection, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following statements:
"Today, I am addressing you from the very heart of the Silvan Project, one of the largest development projects not only in Turkey but also in our geography. An important regulation was accepted in our Grand National Assembly at the beginning of the week. The law, prepared within the scope of the 'Turkey Without Terrorism' process, has been accepted and enacted by our Grand Assembly. I wish this development to be beneficial for our country. We do not evaluate 'Turkey Without Terrorism' solely under the heading of security. For us, this means more investment, more production, more employment, more prosperity, more peace, and a stronger Turkey."
Economic Dimension of Regional Irrigation Investments
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, over 2,400 projects have been implemented in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions by the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) in the last quarter-century. Touching upon the scale of investments, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı continued his remarks as follows:
"In the last quarter-century, we have commissioned over 2,400 projects in our Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions solely through the State Hydraulic Works. The total investment cost of these projects has reached 1.3 trillion lira with current figures. With these investments, we have brought 7.1 million decares of land under irrigation. Today, these facilities form a strong production infrastructure that contributes 119 billion lira annually to the regional economy."
Major Leap in Diyarbakır's Agricultural Production
Minister Yumaklı stated that the Silvan Project consists of 8 dams and 23 irrigation facilities and has a massive investment budget of 360 billion lira. He noted that upon completion of the facilities, 2.35 million decares of land will be brought under modern irrigation. Yumaklı emphasized that thanks to this irrigation, Diyarbakır's current agricultural production volume of 2.3 million tons will exceed 7 million tons. He also stated that wheat yields will double, the economy will gain 43 billion lira annually through sunflower and cotton production, and employment opportunities for 305,000 people will be created.
Silvan Dam Engineering and Targets
Minister Yumaklı pointed out that the Silvan Dam, with a height of 175 meters from its foundation, is one of the most important engineering structures in Turkey and Europe. He announced that the body construction is complete and that water storage in the dam is planned for September 2027, after the completion of the remaining side constructions.
Tunnels and Main Transmission Channels
Sharing technical details about the transmission lines, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı described the site work in detail:
"With a pipe diameter of 10 meters, it is large enough to pass a submarine. Upon completion, it will be Turkey's largest tunnel for irrigation purposes. Our work on this tunnel is continuing at full speed. God willing, we will complete this by 2027. The main transmission system is not limited to this. The approximately 98-kilometer-long Silvan Right Bank Gravity Main Canal will be the main artery carrying stored water to the irrigation areas. Our Pamukçay, Başlar, Kuruçay, and Ambar dams are completed. Our investment, expropriation, and preparation works are ongoing for other dams such as Bulaklıdere, Kıbrıs, and Karacalar. I would also like to emphasize that this project, which will add richness to the fertile lands of Diyarbakır, will also provide 76 million cubic meters of drinking water annually to Batman. We cannot look at the Silvan Project as just a dam, a tunnel, or an irrigation canal. Silvan is the transformation of water into production. Silvan is the meeting of dry land with fertility. Silvan is our youth being able to find jobs in their own homeland. Here, we see the economic dimension of the 'Turkey Without Terrorism' goal much more clearly."
Minister Yumaklı added that the Babakaya Tunnel, each 5,320 meters long, will be commissioned in March 2027 with a discharge capacity of 212 cubic meters per second.
Agricultural Development and Security Vision
Stating that the environment of peace paves the way for agricultural investments, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı drew attention to the importance of the regulation enacted with 467 votes in the Parliament, saying:
"This process is not just about silencing weapons. It is about investors being able to see their path more clearly. It is about farmers being able to invest in their land with greater confidence. It is about our youth being able to build a future in their own homelands. It is about tunnels working under the mountains, tractors in the plains, and machines in the factories. In short, it is about removing the obstacles to development. Today, here, we see one of the most concrete examples of this. This region, which has been associated with security for years, will now be associated with more production, more investment, and more prosperity. We sincerely believe this. I express my gratitude to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Nationalist Movement Party Chairman, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, for the will they have shown to ensure the determined progress of this process. I thank the deputies and political parties of our Grand Assembly who contributed to the process. The fact that the law passed with the votes of 467 deputies also shows that this outcome is a consensus for Turkey and has now become a state policy. I want to state once again strongly that as Turkey's peace and security environment strengthens, our will for investment and production will also strengthen. Under the leadership of our President, we will continue to bring works to every inch of these lands, grow production, and increase the welfare of our nation, as we have done until today."