Turkey and Iraq organise a meeting to tackle the water conflict
The disputes between Turkey and Iraq over water continue to be a problem for the relations between both countries and especially for those who do not have the power over this important resource. Turkey is the state that has the source of the river on its territory and also has a stronger economic and political position towards Iraq.
The rivers Tigris and Euphrates run from Turkey through Syria and Iraq to the Persian Gulf. The sources of both rivers are in Turkey where a project has been created that does not benefit the other two countries. This large hydraulic project is known as Guneydagu Anadolu Projesi (GAP).
Therefore, Iraq wants to solve the drought it is suffering from by discussing a protocol with Turkey. "The water protocol that Baghdad will discuss with Ankara talks about the Iraqi demand for fixed water quotas on the Tigris River," said the spokesman of the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, Aoun Diab.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is expected to visit Ankara on Thursday to discuss Iraq's water quotas to address the conflict. Diab added in statements to Al-Sharq that the protocol the Iraqi minister spoke of included "the demand of the Turkish side to share water in a stable, fair and equitable manner in the Tigris basin," and noted that the dossier "may come to agreements during the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi to Ankara.
Iraq is suffering from a shortage of water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, due to the construction by Turkey of the "Ilisu" dam, which blocks half of the water discharges into Iraq, according to water experts. Since the construction of the GAP project because it has been transformed practically into a desert, with a loss of 90% of the water from both rivers. In August there was talk of a new negotiation with Turkey over the "Ilsu" dam, according to the Iraqi minister of water resources, Mahdi Al-Hamdani.
The percentage will be disputed during the negotiations during this visit, but there was a previous agreement between Turkey and Syria to release 500 meters/second. Iraq would get 52% in exchange for Syria receiving 48%.
Among Iraq's plans is the construction of a dam which, according to Al-Khazemi, would be one of the biggest implemented since the American invasion in 2003. This will increase water storage capacity, contributing to the production of electricity and protecting Baghdad from flooding.
Al-Hamadani stated in July that his country would face a major water shortage if agreements were not signed with Turkey on the Ankara irrigation and dam projects.
Turkey had already signed agreements on the water of the Tigris and Euphrates before. Since the 1920 Lausanne Agreement, signed by Britain and France, which was again agreed in 1922, then the 1946 Agreement was signed and finally the 1993 Agreement in Damascus. So Turkey ended up accepting that the rivers that start in its land have an international character. In other words, water needs to be shared among the three countries. However, Turkey does not recognize these agreements and pacts.
In addition to these problems, the protocol signed between Turkey and Syria in 1988, on the basis of which Syria and Iraq in 1989 agreed that Turkey should release at least 500 cubic meters/second. This is the protocol that Iraq is trying to dispute again.
Iraq can continue to rely on the international laws so that it can benefit from this, but on the other hand Turkey can continue to do the same as it has done during all these years.