Iraq accuses Turkey of violating water agreement

Iraqi Minister of Irrigation Muhammad Diab al-Ahmad on Tuesday accused Turkey of boycotting the technical meetings dedicated to discuss sharing the waters of the Euphrates in order to have more time to carry out dam projects on the river.

The Iraqi daily al-Itihad quoted al-Ahmad as saying, "The Turkish officials try to escape convening meetings to decide on the issue of partitioning the waters of the Euphrates with both Syria and Iraq. The Iraqi minister described the greater al-Anadoul project 'Ghab' started by Turkey in the 1980s to develop the southeastern areas of Turkey through investing the waters of the Euphrates as "harmful to Iraq." He added, "We expect to receive small amounts of waters with a high percentage of salinity.

At the conclusion of their meeting by the end of September in Baghdad, boycotted by Turkey, both Syria and Iraq expressed concern over the increased water projects carried out on the rivers of Tigris and the Euphrates by Turkey without prior consultations.