Syria, Turkey, and Iraq and the water issue still a problem
Syria-Iraq, Economics, 1/29/2001

The officials in Syria, and Iraq are to hold talks to arrange the distribution of the waters of the Euphrates among them.

The BBC said that Turkey was invited to these talks whose date was not set yet but it is expected that Turkey will not take part in the meetings because its clinging to stances in which it considers that Tigris and the Euphrates are crossing the borders and therefore it has the right to make use of the two rivers until the last drop at the borders.

For his part the BBC correspondent in Ankara said in a report on Saturday to this effect that, in contradiction to the atmosphere of optimism prevailing the Syrian- Turkish relations in all fields and Ankara's efforts to open a new page in its relations with Baghdad, yet the issue of the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates still obstruct these relations.

The BBC correspondent expected that the Syrian and Iraqi response will be intensified if Ankara will continue building dams on the two rivers with the possibilities of continued drought in the region, besides the Turkish- Israeli co-operation in the field of waters and the talks about water and agricultural investments in the areas of the Tigris and the Euphrates regions for Israeli companies. A matter which annoys Syria and Iraq, not only at the water level but also at the strategic level.

Previous Stories:
  Arab League urges Britain to reconsider financing Turkish dam   (7/18/2000)
  Report: Syria, Iraq agree to organize Euphrates' waters   (4/13/1999)

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