A Turkish Town Swallowed by a Rising Reservoir

Recent images of locals looking on as their former town is submerged

An enormous new dam in northeastern Turkey has begun to fill its reservoir, slowly submerging the town of Yusufeli despite years of protests by locals and environmental groups. The town’s 7,000 residents have been relocated by the government to newly built apartment blocks nearby. The Yusufeli Dam rises 886 feet (270 meters) above the Çoruh River (also referred to as Chorokhi), and its hydroelectric power plant is expected to begin producing electricity in May 2023. The photographer Yasin Akgul visited Yusufeli last week, capturing images of locals looking on as their former town is swallowed up.