Turkey flouts water agreements, Iraqi MP warns of crisis
"Direct contacts with the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture have revealed Turkey's non-compliance with past decisions and agreements," Mardan told local media.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi MP and member of the Iraqi Parliamentary Committees of Agriculture, water and Marshes Hussein Ali Mardan on Friday accused Turkey of violating agreements on Iraq's water share, urging a comprehensive solution to the ongoing water crisis.
"Direct contacts with the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture have revealed Turkey's non-compliance with past decisions and agreements," Mardan told local media.
He highlighted that Turkey had agreed to release 700,000 cubic meters of water, but only 300,000 or even 180,000 cubic meters had been released, calling it a clear breach.
"We have appealed to the Iraqi prime minister and president for a realistic solution to curb these violations," Mardan stated. He added that during the Indonesian Water Conference, Iraq urged Turkey to join the Common Seas and Common Waters Agreement, stressing its importance for all nations, not just Turkey.
"Iraq's water supply heavily depends on Turkish water, with over 87 percent originating from Turkey," he emphasized.
Mardan also criticized the insufficient budget allocated to the Ministry of Water Resources, stating that it was "miserable and incapable of radically resolving the crisis."
He urged the prime minister to bolster the Ministry's resources and called for allocating over five trillion dinars each to the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture for the modernization of irrigation systems.