Iraq, Syria, Turkey to meet in Ankara next month to discuss water issue

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish ministers responsible for water supplies will meet on September 3 to discuss the drought afflicting the region, Syrian Irrigation Minister Nader Bunni said on Thursday. The talks in Ankara, also to be attended by specialists from the three countries, will cover “the drought which is rife across the region, and the water needs of Syria and Iraq,” SANA official news agency quoted Bunni as saying. The Syrian minister announced the meeting during talks in Damascus with Iraqi Water Minister Latif Rashid and Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, SANA reported. Last month, Iraq called for an urgent meeting with Syria and Turkey after the flow of water in the Tigris River sank by half. Rashid said Turkey was actually holding back on the precious commodity. At the end of June, Turkey increased the Euphrates flow to 570 cubic metres per second (20,130 feet per second) to help overcome a shortage along the river from its source in Turkey down through Syria and Iraq. Iraq has said Ankara promised to raise that to 715 cubic metres per second in July, August and September. The whole region has experienced a drought for the past two years because of a sharp fall in winter rains. SH (S) 1