The Balli Dam is a gravity dam under construction on the Ortasu River (a tributary of the Hezil River) in Uludere district of à Âñrnak Province, southeast Turkey. Under contract from Turkey's State Hydraulic Works, construction on the dam began in 2008 and a completion date has not been announced.
The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support an 8.36 MW hydroelectric power station in the future. Another purpose of the dam which has been widely reported in the Turkish press is to reduce the freedom of movement of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. Blocking and flooding valleys near the IraqâÂÂTurkey border is expected to help curb cross-border PKK smuggling and deny caves in which ammunition can be stored. A total of 11 dams along the border; seven in à Âñrnak Province and four in Hakkâri Province were implemented for this purpose. In à Âñrnak they are the Silopi, à Âñrnak and Uludere Dams downstream of the Balli Dam and the Kavà Âaktepe, Musatepe and ÃÂetintepe Dams upstream on the Ortasu River. In Hakkari are the Gölgeliyamaç (since cancelled) and ÃÂocuktepe Dams on the Güzeldere River and the Aslandaàand Beyyurdu Dams on the Bembo River.
Balli dam was still under construction as of March 2019, with construction works 95% complete at that time.