ABSTRACT
The twentieth century witnessed a fundamental transformation of the world’s river systems as well as of human–water relationships through the construction of large dams all around the world. Beginning especially after the 1950s, many states, especially the newly independent states in Africa and Asia, initiated ambitious water infrastructure projects not only to ensure water availability for domestic and agricultural purposes, but also to expand their influence, ensure their legitimacy, and strengthen their national identities within and outside their borders. This chapter extends and complements the debate on the complex relationship among dam-, state-, and nation-building, and explores the role of large dams in shaping the politics of state and nation formation in Turkey. The chapter focuses specifically on the dam-building practices carried out under the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) in southeastern Turkey since the 1970s. In light of the symbolic and discursive constructions of the project at the national level, it discusses the efforts of the Turkish state to frame and present the project as a symbol of modernity, strong statehood, and strong nationhood.
