THE IMPACT OF THE WATER PROBLEM IN IRAQ ON BAGHDAD–ANKARA RELATIONS

Abstract

One of the primary causes of interstate tensions and long-term conflicts worldwide is the issue of water. In particular, the continuous construction of reservoirs and dams, as well as the discharge of waste into watercourses by countries where the water sources are located, leads to water scarcity and environmental problems in downstream nations.
Arab countries generally experience prolonged hot seasons, and for this reason, water scarcity is considered a matter of national security in states such as Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, through which the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers flow. The declining water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates have also brought food security to the forefront in the Arab world. Reduced water flow in these rivers has adversely affected sectors such as agriculture, livestock, industry, the environment, and even tourism in Iraq.
Specifically, the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates are located in the mountains of eastern Turkey. The implementation of the large-scale Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP)—which includes the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power stations to irrigate 1.8 million hectares of land in the Tigris and Euphrates basins—has intensified tensions over water resources between An-kara and Baghdad. Although the two countries have conducted numerous negotiations on the water issue, Turkey has not suspended its major project in Southeastern Anatolia. The Iraqi side has ex-pressed concerns that the project may significantly reduce water resources in the future and lead to serious problems in farmland irrigation.