On the water issue between Syria and Turkey
Syria-Turkey, Politics, 7/19/2001

The Turkish daily (Radical) said on Wednesday that Syria, in an attempt to develop relations with Turkey, extended an invitation to the supervisors for the Southern East Anadolia project "G A B" to visit Damascus although Damascus used to consider this project its greatest enemy.

In an article under the title " Ankara and Damascus meet for peace relating to waters," the paper added that the Turkish delegation will make a study in order to be acquainted with the irrigation and agricultural projects in Syria.

The paper added that Syria used to hold the "G A B" project responsible for the reduction of the amounts of waters coming to it from Turkey because of the dams installed on it as amounts of waters let by Turkey to Syria was reduced to 100 cubic meters per second although this amount should be 500 cubic meter per second.

The paper quoted the chairman of "GAB" project Oljai Obfere as saying that the reason why Syria is getting a small portion of waters is not because of the existing dams in the GAB area, rather to the continued drought existed since two years. He added that they can in the future qualify the Syrian experts, stressing the possibility of looking forward to a joint action with Syria regarding humanitarian projects.

He continued that during the visit of the GAB delegation to Syria a study will be made on soil quality in Syria and its needs of water.

He explained that this matter is another reflection of the plan composed of three stages, submitted by Turkey on distributing the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates, as technical delegations from Syria, Turkey and Iraq will meet and decide the need for water and ways of using it and the soil quality in each of the said countries.

Previous Stories:
  Turkish and Israeli missiles near Turkish- Syrian border   (7/14/2001)
  Turkish assertion to develop relations with Syria   (7/3/2001)
  Turkish- Syrian relations are in their best   (6/15/2001)

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