By Chris Elliott…….
We published on Thursday 6th August 2015 news that on Friday 7th August there was to be a ceremony with the joining of the last central section of the water pipeline and for me it was a great thrill to be able to attend and record this momentous occasion for our English speaking readers around the world as the Turkish Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs (DSI) completed the joining of the water pipes between Turkey and Northern Cyprus.
So it was early in the morning when I drove down to the Guzelyalı seashore pumping station and then walked out along the rock pier to board t
he tug “Captan Engin 3” for the journey out to the larger boats we could see in the distance.
With the roar of the engine our boat surged forward with a parting of the waves and flying spray and the assorted media representatives on the boat were eagerly taking photographs or recording videos of this journey.
Soon we hove to at the side of the large orange and yellow Edda Fonn and then boarded and climbed which seemed forever up the stairs to finally arrive in the control room which was so cool and everybody was relaxed. With more media expected to arrive on other boats I had time to walk around and look at the control station from which the ship was maintained in a fixed position. There was also a video presentation being set up and a display of DSI posters showing the key points of this incredible and world first project which is to run a water pipeline between two countries.
Now the media was out on the upper deck and recording the activities on the Adams Aquanaut 
vessel where the two sections were being brought together for joining and very soon we heard broadcast on the tannoy the news of the impending arrival of a DSI helicopter which had brought the Turkish Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs, Veysel Eroĝlu, and other dignitaries.
As the helicopter landed and the passengers disembarked the media people went back into the control room to await the Minister and his party. When he entered the room with great enthusiasm he was greeting everybody and as perhaps the only British representative I had my second thrill of the day when Minister Veysel Eroĝlu came to me and asked me what I thought of this project and achievement and of course you can imagine my reply, which was summed up in a single word – “brilliant”.
Following this there were various presentations and speeches before the Minister’s party and eager media people went down to the helipad for more speeches and to watch the final release of the joined pipes which very soon will carry that liquid gold, cool water from the mountains of Turkey to flow by gravitational force under the sea and then to arrive at the Guzelyalı pumping station where it will be pumped up into the Geçitköy Dam. After this is filled in the weeks ahead, it will then be pumped up again to the Çamlibel water treatment plant before being distributed around the vast network of water distribution pipes that are currently being installed around the TRNC. To read more of the development of the project please click here to read our article published after we visited this vast complex some weeks ago.
