Iraq, Syria reinvite Turkey to dialogue on water issue
Regional-Iraq, Economics, 9/30/1998

Syria and Iraq invited Turkey to hold a dialogue to solve problems relating to division of waters. Iraqi dailies published on Tuesday said that the call was addressed at the conclusion of the Syrian - Iraqi coordination meeting held in Baghdad. The meeting was boycotted by Ankara.

The call expressed great concern over Turkey's continued implementation of several dam projects on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers without making consultations with the countries that share these two rivers. The Iraqi dailies, moreover, quoted the acting Iraqi minister of irrigation, Abdul Sattar Salman, as saying that Syria and Iraq are "ready to meet at anytime and anyplace for dialogue to find out a solution to the issue of waters."

The Iraqi acting minister added that the meeting also dealt with the grave consequences of the Turkish projects on the rights of Syria and Iraq and means of implementing Arab League resolutions boycotting international companies and institutions which finance these projects. Chairman of the Syrian delegation Ibrahim Makhoul stressed at the beginning of the coordination meeting that Turkey has been invited regularly to the meetings but it has "been boycotting them for several years."

Syrian sources said Syria and Iraq exchanged technical information, plans and information on the development of the water issue with Turkey since the last meeting in Damascus on October 22, 1997.

Previous Stories:
  Abdul Meguid to meet with Turkish foreign minister   (9/26/1998)
  Syria, Iraq meet on water issue, Turkey is absent   (9/25/1998)
  Ankara refuses to revive water committee   (8/27/1998)

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