Çoruh River basin is one of the most picturesque yet significantly underdeveloped regions of Turkey. Rural incomes in the region are one-third of those average for the country. The impact of river basin development around the world, particularly those in which dam construction plays an important role. It is planned to develop 3,185 MW of hydro capacity on the Çoruh River basin corresponding to 25% of the country’s present hydroelectric production. At present the Çoruh River basin is one of the poorest in Turkey due to its isolation, its poor natural resource base, including lack of arable land in this mountainous area. The construction of 21 major hydropower investment are defined in a concrete manner within a framework in which 27-34 hydro plants is planned within the Çoruh basin, 24 of which are to be implemented on the estuaries.
Turkey prides itself as where East meets West. It is where Asia and the Middle East meet Europe. Turkey’s capital, Istanbul, straddles the Bosporus and can genuinely claim to be one city in two continents. Turkey’s history goes back to prerecorded time. Mesopotamia, (translated means “the land between two rivers”) was between the Tigris and the Euphrates (or the Dicle and Firat Nehri in Turkish) which rise in Eastern Turkey. History and the armies of Alexander the Great, of Islam and the Crusades have all swept through this land. Marco Polo when he was exploring the “Silk Road” traveled through Turkey passing by Erzurum and Mount Ararat and then north through Bayburt to the Black Sea on his return journey. The North East corner is a rugged and inaccessible area. Alexander the Great by-passed the region, the Roman Empire only ruled it as a vassal state for three years. Smaller kingdoms of the Armenians, Bagratians, and Georgians controlled the valuable trade route through the valleys at different times. Bayburt, one of the put-ins for trips down the Çoruh boasts the largest fortress in Turkey. This 6th century castle now sits on the hill above the modern town and bears witness to a bygone age when Bayburt was a major center of commerce. From Bayburt to Ispir the river is flat, only aspiring to class II-III as it nears Ispir. The river however is more remote with no road intruding till Maden, some 20kms upstream of Ispir. It is during this stretch that the river swings through 180 degrees and flows along the Kackar mountains looking for a weakness to break trough and escape to the Black sea.
The River Çoruh cuts through the mountainous region of Artvin and reaches the Black Sea. Beginning at the Mescit Mountains (3225m), it flows for 466 km before reaching the Black Sea in Georgia, and is one of the fastest flowing rivers in the world. The small towns and villages located along the river are historically interesting, and the whole area represents the combination of Eastern Anatolian and Black Sea cultures. The Çoruh Basin is an absolute paradise for outdoor activities. The Çoruh Gorge will enchant nature lovers with its rare and endemic plant species and is a paradise for birdwatchers. The Çoruh River basin is a very important nature reserve. The Çoruh Basin is one of the most spectacular nature reserves in Turkey. With its rich biological diversity the Çoruh Valley is one of the 35 world hotspots of biodiversity pointed out by Conservation International as the western section of "Caucasus Ecosystem". It is a place of immense biological diversity. There are estimated to be around 100 plant species endemic to this region or that may be found in very few other places, if any, including rare varieties of orchid, iris and pelargonium.
The natural habitat of Çoruh River valley remains undisturbed, and colonies of red vultures, which are threatened with extinction, live among the rocks by the riverside. The area surrounding the river is rich in wildlife, including grey bear, mountain goat with hooked horns, wild boar, wolf, jackal, fox, badger, water sable, rabbit, partridge, wild rooster, woodcock, wild duck, stock dove and golden oriole.
The highlands of northeastern Turkey were for many centuries home to a rich polyglot cultural tradition. The most spectacular monuments of this history are the region's medieval Georgian churches, which are equal of anything built in western Europe in the Middle Ages. Situated in northeastern Turkey, the Çoruh Basin is astonishingly rich in sophisticated medieval art and architecture. Georgian Churches that were monumental in scale and inventive in design, were constructed from the beginning of the 9th until the first quarter of the 11th century.
The Choloki River (in Georgian: ჩოლოქი) in Georgia forms the border between the autonomous province of Ajaria and the province of Guria. For a time in the nineteenth century it formed the border between Turkey and Imperial Russia.
During the Crimean War, Russia’s 13,000 troops consisting mainly of Georgian militias under General Lieutenant Prince Ivan Malkhazovich Andronnikov (Andronikashvili) routed Sinan Pasha’s Turkish corps of 35,000 strength on the left bank of the Choloki River on June 4, 1854.
Another military episode took place on April 16, 1918, when the Georgian National Guard under General-Lieutenant Giorgi Mazniashvili repulsed a Turkish militia force.
The bridge over Choloki river that was a main road link between Ajaria and the rest of Georgia was blown up on May 2, 2004 by the ousted leadership of the Autonomy. Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze called the decision to blow up the bridges in the Kobuleti border region "a preventive measure against the possible attempt of military action by the central Georgian authorities."
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