FightING ILISU DAM - SAVE HASANKEYF AND TIGRIS VALLEY

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NGOs from Iraq protest against Ilisu Dam + Concerns of Iraqi governments on water drought/shortage (14.05. + 16.06.2009)

Protest letter of NGOs from Iraq, dated 14th of May, 2009

 

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Iraqi Minister Blames Turkey for Drought

 

6-16-2009

By Rose Foran - www.themedialine.org

 

Turkey has not followed through on its agreement to supply Iraq with the water it desperately needs, the Iraqi water minister has claimed.

 

Despite pledging to allow water to flow at an increased rate from the Euphrates River to Iraq after many formal requests, the Turkish government has yet to provide the country with more water.

 

Iraq has been suffering from a drought for nearly three years, which has been made worse by hydroelectric dams placed in the Euphrates River by Turkey, restricting the flow of the water to Iraq. Now in the height of its agricultural season, Iraq needs the water in order to carry out its harvesting plans.

 

"We have made our request through the proper official channels and through our official meetings with Turkey," Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, told The Media Line in an exclusive interview. "But unfortunately the amount of water which we have requested from Turkey has not reached us."

 

"Because of the reservoirs and dams which are built in Turkey, our share of water has decreased drastically," Rashid explained. "The middle and south of Iraq are suffering a severe drought, and now it is the season of agriculture, but we don't have sufficient water to have our agriculture plans implemented." The flow from the Euphrates River to Iraq is currently 230 cubic meters per second, and the agreement with Turkey stipulated an increase in flow of up to 360 cubic meters per second.

 

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on whether or not the government planned to supply Iraq with more water, stating only that, "there is no tension between Turkey and Iraq on the water issue." According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service, Iraq's drought is the result of extremely low rainfall and irrigation supply shortages. While the drought has already affected the grain production for the spring season, it is bound to have even more detrimental consequences in winter. Winter grain crops, which constitute 85 percent of food production each year in Iraq, are expected to reach record-low production rates. This will cause an increased reliance on foreign grain imports in the 2009 - 2010 marketing year.

 

"I hope they will release more water," Rashid said. "If it doesn't come through shortly, I am planning to pay a visit to Turkey."