Iraq calls for dialogue with Turkey on water issue

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Ministerial Council for Iraqi National Security, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, called for opening a dialogue with Turkey regarding the water issue, as a result of the reduced water flows coming from Turkey, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s press office.

The meeting addressed the challenges facing the agricultural and environmental sectors in Iraq as a result of the reduced water flows coming from the Turkish side, and the need to open a dialogue with Turkey in this regard, the statement explained.

Iraq is suffering from a water crisis in which it blames Turkey and Iran for their non-compliance with international agreements and their encroachment on Iraq’s quotas of water.

The Ilisu Dam located on the Tigris River in Turkey, less than 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Iraqi border has a storage capacity of 10.4 billion cubic meters, and its hydroelectric station has a capacity of about 1,200 megawatts.

The operation of Ilisu Dam affected the Tigris River in term of the hydrological, hydrogeological, morphological and environmental aspects.

Another dam located 35 kilometers (22 milies) south of Ilisu Dam near the Syrian border has a reservoir of 1.2 million cubic meters, and its hydroelectric station has a capacity of 240 megawatts.

Since 2003, Iraq has been suffering from a decline in the water level across the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as a result of the water policies adopted by Turkey and Iran, where release rates are reduced, paths of tributaries are changed, and giant dams are built on the rivers.