President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of Ilısu Prof. Veysel Eroğlu Dam and HEEP in Türkiye's southeastern province of Mardin on November 6.
Addressing at the ceremony, President Erdoğan said Ilısu is the largest dam on the Dicle River, and the HEPP is the fourth largest plant in Türkiye.
Emphasizing the importance of maximizing renewable energy production from domestic resources, President Erdoğan said, “We must tap into our full potential in order to protect our country against food crises that could be triggered by drought and ward off the increasingly more visible energy crisis. We are in no position to waste even a single drop of our country's water resources."
On the same day, President Erdoğan also attended a mass opening ceremony in Batman, including a research hospital, 36 factories, and the city stadium.
“As we introduce the most developed infrastructure investments, not just to Batman alone but to the region as a whole, we have also come a long way in our fight to set this region free from any untoward influences of hostile foreign organizations," noted President Erdoğan, adding that “We have thus expanded the areas of freedoms and rights of our local citizens in this part of the country, ensuring they are on an equal footing with the rest of our nation."