Curator of Commagene LAR (Land and River Art), which is the first biennial focusing on river arts in the world, writer and poet Nihat Özdal petitioned the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for the Euphrates River to gain ‘legal entity’ status.
The biennial, held in Adıyaman, attracts attention with its works focusing on the future and philosophy of nature and rivers. The spirit and source of inspiration for the biennial was determined to be the Euphrates River.
Özdal, decided to take an important step to highlight the Euphrates River as a part of Turkey’s cultural heritage.
Özdal aims to raise awareness on this issue by petitioning the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to grant legal personality to the Euphrates River. In his petition, Nihat Özdal stated that the legal personality application given to the Whanganui River in New Zealand was similar to the Ganges River River in India in 2017. He emphasizes that he pioneered the Yamuna rivers and all rivers in Bangladesh to gain legal rights. Inspired by these examples, he states that giving the Euphrates River a similar status would be a step in line with the ecosystem and cultural importance of the rivers. Özdal said, “We are on the banks of a river that started history. The Euphrates River is not only a stream carrying water, but also a river that dates back thousands of years.” “It represents a cultural heritage. Giving it a legal entity will not only be a river, but will also make a significant contribution to Turkey’s efforts to preserve its natural and cultural riches,” he said. The biennial will bring earth and river arts to a wider audience in Turkey. It brings together artists and nature lovers and emphasizes the junction of art and nature on the banks of the Euphrates River. The works can be seen at the Islands in the Dam Lake, Karakuş Tumulus and Cendere Bridge until December 23.
