Water expert calls for declaring a state of emergency due to drought in the country

yota691 · June 9, 2022

Parliament is waving to pass a law criminalizing trade exchange with Turkey and Iran over water

2022-06-09 06:06

Shafaq News/ Hakim al-Zamili, the first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, threatened on Thursday to resort to a law criminalizing the trade exchange process with Turkey and Iran because of cutting Iraq's water quota.

Al-Zamili said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Water Resources building and attended by Shafak News Agency correspondent, that "if Turkey and Iran continue to cut off water from Iraq, we will be forced in Parliament to issue a law criminalizing trade and economic exchange with them as a response to their actions."

He stressed that Iran had completely cut off the waters from Iraq, and four rivers from them flow into Iraq, and their course has been changed into Iran.

He also pointed out that the volume of Iraq's imports from Turkey amounted to 20 billion dollars, and with Iran it amounted to 16 billion dollars, while Iraq has no exports to these two countries.

Al-Zamili stated that "there is no deterrence and there is no commitment to agreements, and it is expected that the two countries will completely cut off water from Iraq due to the lack of rain."

He pointed out that "we may have to legislate a law criminalizing trade exchange with these countries and their companies, just as we have legislated a law criminalizing dealing with Israel," noting that "Turkey refused to negotiate with Iraq on this file, and Iran did not negotiate and ignore Iraq."

He continued by saying that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry has shortcomings in this file, as it has not submitted any protest note to Turkey or international organizations, and its protest is sometimes timid and it does not yet have an ambassador in Turkey officially and it has shortcomings, pointing out that "we will have a position on The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is under the dome of Parliament.

yota691 · June 9, 2022

Parliament Presidency calls for pressure on neighboring countries over the water crisis

money and business

Economy News-Baghdad
The First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hakim Al-Zamili, confirmed today, Thursday, that there is a real danger to citizens regarding water scarcity, while stressing the need to put pressure on neighboring countries .

Al-Zamili said in a press conference held by the Ministry of Water Resources that "there is a real danger to citizens regarding water scarcity," noting that "the Ministry of Resources and the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee must put pressure on neighboring countries ."

He added that "Iraq is not a weak country, and there are many deterrent decisions," noting that "there is migration due to water scarcity ."

106 . views

Added 06/09/2022 - 1:33 PM

Update 06/09/2022 - 5:29 PM

yota691 · June 9, 2022

Rivers dry up in Iraq (AFP)

An Iraqi MP criticizes Iran and Turkey: We will deprive you of $20 billion

Turkey started cutting water from Iraq by 80%, while Iran cut it completely

Dubai - Alarabiya.net

Published in:Jun 09, 2022: 06:40 PM GSTLast updated:Jun 09, 2022: 8:00 PM GST

In a stinging attack on the two countries, the deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, a leader in the Sadrist movement, Hakim al-Zamili, threatened to boycott Turkish and Iranian goods if water continued to be cut off from his country.

The Iraqi official explained that Turkey has started cutting water from Iraq by 80%, while Iran has cut it off completely, that is, by 100%.

In a conference held at the Ministry of Water Resources, Thursday, he threatened, in the event of continued cutting from neighbors, to work with the House of Representatives to boycott Turkish and Iranian goods.

He also saw that political differences, non-compliance with international agreements regarding water releases, as well as the absence of laws from the government that put pressure on the two countries had caused the water cuts.

Stopping $20 billion from trade exchange

He pointed out that Iraq's two neighbors are self-sufficient in water levels, but they insist on cutting it off from Iraq, threatening to respond by stopping 20 billion dollars of money that Iraq pays to the two countries as a trade exchange.

He also added that Baghdad would stop these funds if the water cuts continued, and would also support local factories.

In a related context, he confirmed the existence of problems in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, starting from Baghdad to the southern provinces, explaining that the citizens' transgressions floated on the course of the two rivers.

He called on the Ministry of Materials and government agencies to pressure Turkey and Iran to reach a solution formula that would get the country out of this crisis.

The crisis is getting worse

It is noteworthy that the salinity of the water has caused, in the past years, the transformation of thousands of hectares of land into wasteland, and the admission of 100,000 people to hospitals in the summer of 2018.

During the past months, Iraq experienced a severe water crisis in a number of its cities, after the quantities of water received from Turkey and Iran decreased by a large percentage as a result of the construction of many dams and projects at the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

According to government statistics, Iraq's population of 40 million now consumes 71 billion cubic meters of water.

While in 2035 the population will reach more than 50 million, and it is expected that the surface water will decrease to 51 billion cubic meters annually after the completion of all off-border projects.

nannab · June 9, 2022

Unfortunately Iraq's access to water is cut off every year. :shakehead:

Goggles · June 9, 2022

They really can't use trade exchange to fix the water issue, because they desperately need all the trade they can get and more whilst they improve the countries trade palate for a diverse economy. What they need from those countries is water cooperation. Might have to turn to international help for resolution. It's gone on long enough.

horsesoldier · June 9, 2022

Another year of this issue in the Category of Deja' Vu All over again

yota691 · June 13, 2022

Does Iraq resort to transferring the water file to the international courts?

Monday 13 June 2022 106

Baghdad: Huda Al-Azzawi

The statements made by the First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hakim Al-Zamili regarding the water file with Turkey and Iran, provoked mixed reactions, regarding his waving of legislation to criminalize economic and trade cooperation with the two countries if Ankara and Tehran continue their negative policy towards Iraq and cut off water supplies to the Euphrates, Tigris and their tributaries. About drought hit the country. Experts believed that the economic and trade paper could be used vis-à-vis the two countries that were wracked by international and European sanctions, while others believed that this paper could not be used at the present time for reasons related to the lack of industry or local agriculture that could substitute for Turkish and Iranian products.

The specialist in public international law, Professor Dr. Haider Kazem, told "Al-Sabah" that "there is an international law called the International Law of the Sea, which finds its basis in the 1997 United Nations Convention and among the most important principles contained in the aforementioned agreement related to the issue (the waters between Iraq from On the one hand, Turkey and Iran on the other hand) is the principle of fair and equitable use of international rivers for neighboring countries, which is what Articles (5 and 6) of the aforementioned agreement disclosed, so Iraq must benefit from it.

He pointed out that "Turkey played a negative role and violated the aforementioned principle, when the (Ilisu) dam was established, which violated the principle of fair and equitable use of rivers and seas by blocking the passage of a lot of water and storing it in the aforementioned dam, so that what reaches Iraq from water releases. It is not enough to meet his needs, especially if we mention the steady increase in the population of Iraq in recent times, in addition to being an agricultural country.

He concluded his speech by saying: "Iraq can resort to international forums, foremost of which is the International Court of Justice, and present the file to it for decision."

For his part, a member of the Parliamentary Economy and Industry Committee, Soran Omar, told Al-Sabah: "Our industrial, agricultural and local production capacity has not reached the point where we do not need goods from neighboring countries. In addition, Turkish and Iranian products dominated the Iraqi market." including the Kurdistan region.

He pointed out that "if the goods of the two countries are cut off in the current circumstance from Iraq for a week, there will be greater inflation and price increases, and a law cannot be enacted if we are not able to revive agriculture and industry in all revenues."

On the other hand, an analyst in economic affairs, Maytham Laibi, said in an interview with Al-Sabah: "The trade exchange between the three countries includes mostly Iraqi imports from the Turkish and Iranian sides, and that preventing imports from them could lead to a shortage in the commodity supply, and there is a need Continuous domestic demand and the inability to meet it from local production, the obvious result is the rise in commodity prices and the decrease in the standard of living for Iraqi citizens, which will increase the suffering of the poor, especially with the rise in prices globally as a result of the Ukrainian crisis, and before that, raising the exchange rate of the dollar against the dinar, which could lead to increasing poverty in the country.

He explained that "there is more than one agreement signed for economic and trade cooperation between Iraq and these two countries, not to mention the failure to count the reactions from the Turkish and Iranian sides, such as stopping Iraqi exports, especially since a portion of Iraqi oil, for example, passes through Turkish ports."

Editing: Muhammad Al-Ansari

Goggles · June 13, 2022

So why has the International Law of the Sea been called upon sooner than now?? Iraq has been suffering for a few years now or more.

danielchu · June 13, 2022

Because even Iraq knows there worthless!

yota691 · July 9, 2022

Iraq “internationalizes” the water file

Thursday 07 July 2022 466

Baghdad: Omar Abdul Latif

The concerned authorities in the country have threatened to “internationalize” the water issue during the next stage, after the great suffering of some provinces due to the scarcity of even drinking water, and the Turkish and Iranian sides’ failure to respond to the demands to increase Iraq’s water quotas, while the Ministry of Water Resources announced the drilling of wells in the marsh areas to keep residents That area in their places.

The head of the Agriculture, Water and Marshlands Committee in the House of Representatives, Thaer Mikheib Al Kitab, said in an interview with Al-Sabah: "With the beginning of the legislative term, the committee will seek to direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the countries of Iran and Turkey in order to increase Iraq's water share from them."

He added that "Turkey is in the process of constructing the irrigation dam, which is 35 km from Iraqi territory, and it is a dangerous and terrifying dam that violates all legal norms among the riparian countries for Iraq and will cast a shadow over future generations."

He added, "Turkey disregarded all the values, standards, laws and constitutions written between it and Iraq, especially when the water was cut off despite the entry of the Iraqi marshes as water bodies to the World Heritage List, which must always be submerged in water according to the regulations of the United Nations Organization for Culture, Science and Arts (UNESCO). ".

The head of the Parliamentary Committee confirmed, "writing protest notes to the Turkish embassy in Iraq and then to the United Nations and internationalizing the issue of cutting off water from Iraq, and holding official and popular conferences in this regard."

He cautioned that "reducing Iraq's water share from Turkey is nothing but a plan drawn up and prepared in a (malicious) manner, and it completely suffocates Iraq, and implements a scheme aimed at starving Iraq and making it a permanently consuming country."

Al-Kitab explained that "Iraq will follow diplomatic steps to resolve this issue with Iran and Turkey, and then move towards escalation to reach the level of cutting off trade exchange with those countries."

For his part, Head of the Planning Department at the Marsh Revitalization Center at the Ministry of Water Resources, Dr. Haider Lafta Ali, said: "The quantities of water that reach the marsh areas have been greatly affected by the scarcity."

Ali added in an interview with "Al-Sabah", that "the lack of submerged areas affected the residents there, so they are trying to change their places," noting that "the center works by developing plans to install the citizens who are there by digging wells, installing desalination plants, and delivering water to The farthest point is found in the villages and countryside of the marshes.

He explained that "the Ministry of Water Resources has implemented many projects in the marshlands, and they exist in the form of integrated plans that lack some funding, but they are ongoing," noting that "the existence of alternatives using the waters of the general estuary contributed to the revitalization of part of the western Hammar Marsh."

He pointed out that "after the marshes entered the World Heritage List, a national committee was formed under the chairmanship of the ministries of resources, environment, agriculture and culture and the rest of the ministries to follow up on the file, and there are plans prepared and submitted to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and sums were allocated for it in 2018, estimated at 60 billion dinars, but unfortunately, it was not implemented." financing it.”

Editing: Muhammad Al-Ansari

yota691 · July 9, 2022

Water negotiations with neighboring countries..protecting food security

Thursday 07 July 2022 105

Baghdad: Imad of the emirate

Vahid al-Rabi'i

The country is exposed to the water scarcity of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the tributaries that flow into them, and the situation cannot be tolerated or ignored with its catastrophic results. For years, Iraq has sought, and for years, with continuous diplomatic efforts with the two neighbors Turkey and Iran to ensure the flow of water from its sources and to address the water scarcity. On this issue, the specialist said. On the economic issue, Dr. Abdel Latif Shehab: “Good positive results have been crystallized from these diplomatic efforts with Turkey, but they are not up to the level of ambition in obtaining water resources for the country.”

Shehab added to "Al-Sabah", that "the Minister of Water Resources stated that the stumbling and complexity is with Iran, which cut off all water sources that flowed into the Diyala River and cut off the Karun River, which was a source of Basra's water; Therefore, it has become a national duty to use all methods to restore the country's water rights to protect food security, and for negotiations to be based on the principle of sharing harm or invoking international treaties on the course of

water.”

downstream country

Shehab continued: “The issue of water is one of the most important pillars of national security for any country in the world, as the countries in whose territory the sources of the water source are located enjoy high flexibility in controlling the amount of water that reaches the downstream country, and as is the case between Iraq, Turkey and Iran, where The water problem has emerged for many decades, and called for the need for provisions and rules governing the use of water between the three countries.

He continued: "The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 addressed this, as Article 109 stipulated the necessity of forming a joint committee between these countries whose mission is to address issues related to the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers."

Shehab stated: "A preliminary agreement between Iraq, Turkey and Iran referred to a settlement of any dispute over the water distribution system, and based on these international constants, water negotiations with upstream countries must focus on obtaining Iraq's water rights."

water ration

On the distribution of water shares according to international agreements, Dr. Nagham Hussein, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Al-Nahrain University said: There are constants and texts for treaties of friendship and common understanding between Iraq and Turkey that can be a basis for launching water negotiations, given that the major water share comes from Turkey, not Iran.

Hussein explained to “Al-Sabah” that “Article 5 of Protocol Number One on regulating the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates from the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness between Iraq and Turkey signed in 1946 focused on that Iraq has the right to send bodies to conduct surveys and that Turkey undertakes to cooperate with these international bodies and facilitate Their task is to do their work, and also to do the maintenance work for the permanent stations of water meters

and dispose of it.”

She stressed: "However, the Turkish side was not cooperative and kept delaying and refraining from committing to implementing its provisions, and what we want to say is that Iraq's negotiations with Turkey and Iran must focus on the country's national constants to protect the country's water rights, and then protect the food security of the citizen."

Diplomatic solutions

In order to address the current situation of water scarcity, academic Dr. Abdel Karim Al-Issawi explained that “it is wise to deal with diplomacy in securing water supplies from the two neighbors, Turkey and Iran, and that the following facts highlight the first, the importance of influential international legal bodies in determining the owners of the right to obtain water under various Circumstances, and the second, when the water shortage becomes severe, the voices of the needy rise from it for a just settlement of their cause.”

He explained, "Based on these facts, Iraq does not want to find itself in military conflicts again with neighboring countries, and it is better to resort to the legal institutions of the United Nations and regional institutions."

Al-Issawi continued: “In this regard, the Vienna Convention refers, which came to regulate the uses of international rivers, and defined it as a navigable river that separates or penetrates several countries. That a watercourse state does not cause harm to a state or other watercourse states in the event that it carries out activities that are harmful to states the other.”

yota691 · July 12, 2022

Unveiled a mandate to support water management

US Ambassador: I was amazed at the concern of Iraqi officials about the water crisis in the country

2022.07.12 - 15:22

Baghdad - people

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, expressed her surprise at the concern of Iraqi officials about the water scarcity crisis and the effects of drought on the country.

"Here in Mesopotamia, ensuring Iraq's water supply is a strategic interest that the United States shares with the Iraqis," Romanowski said in an article for "Nass" (July 12, 2022). My arrival last month coincided with the start of another long summer. Hot and dry At the start of my meetings with Iraqi officials, I was struck by their concern about the water scarcity crisis and the effects of drought on the country. As with other countries around the world, water security plays a critical role in ensuring Iraq's peace and prosperity. However, many Iraqis face challenges increasing access to clean water necessary for daily life.

She added, "Iraq is dependent on its upstream neighbors, all of whom face their own water challenges. Long-term forecasts are that Iraq will receive minimal additional rainfall over the next six months. However, this situation could present an opportunity for Iraq." To accomplish so much alone, and even more so with the United States' commitment to working alongside Iraq as a supportive partner."

She continued, “I have come here carrying with me a mandate to continue to support Iraq’s water resources management and enhance its self-sufficiency. The United States has long supported Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources, which received less than one percent of the government’s 2021 budget. Our investment of (124) million has helped In 2016, as part of an initiative to develop the Ministry’s technical expertise on protecting basic infrastructure, we dispatched (24) engineers from the Ministry’s cadres to the United States, to prevent the collapse of the dam and preserve the safety of thousands of Iraqis. They studied dam safety and visited operating dams in Colorado, Arizona and Nevada."

Romanowski emphasized that "the United States wants to help the Iraqi people secure access to the water resources they need in daily life, agriculture, and industry. The average Iraqi per capita consumption of water is 392 liters - nearly double the global average of water consumption - and (90) are used." percent of Iraq's water resources are for agriculture. We can help Iraq improve water use efficiency by eliminating wasteful practices. For example, leakage in infrastructure and open water channels leads to the loss of (10) billion cubic meters of water due to evaporation every year, a number that matches the projected annual water deficit for Iraq by 2035.

She stated that "reducing the share of water used in agriculture through the use of modern and efficient irrigation techniques and investment in water infrastructure is essential for the future of water in Iraq. In July, (25) government engineers specializing in water and agriculture will travel to the western United States." To visit an area facing a similar challenge due to water scarcity, where they will be able to collaborate with our experts and learn firsthand about irrigation efficiency, water conservation and salinity control.

She added, "The US Geological Survey continues to train Iraqi engineers on how to calculate water accumulation and consumption in the Tigris and Euphrates basin through various data sources. These efforts will help ensure that Iraq has actionable and scientifically sound data when it comes to the negotiating table with its neighbors."

She also said: "The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated more than (150) million dollars to projects that have led to the advancement of water services and management throughout Iraq, and thus more than (10) million Iraqis from vulnerable groups have been able to obtain Drinking water USAID repaired water pipes and improved the operation of (140) water treatment facilities in the governorates of Babil, Baghdad, Najaf, Sirwan District, and other places. The Agency also rehabilitated water treatment plants in Basra for the purpose of improving efficiency and providing drinking water to Iraqis who live Rural areas".

The US ambassador indicated that "at the strategic level, the US Agency for International Development provided software and hardware to help the Ministry of Water Resources produce complex models on water use in order to improve its management. The US Agency for International Development also supports the "Iraq Vision 2030 for Sustainable Development" by improving special plans with water resources to better manage future crises. In collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers, USAID will also help guide strategic investment in Iraq's water infrastructure through a data-driven whole-of-government perspective. All of this will ensure greater resilience to the effects of climate change." .

She explained, "Our initiatives aim to strengthen the initiatives of the Iraqi government, but they cannot replace them. With high oil prices that provide trillions of dinars in reserves, Iraq's new leaders will be able to assume their positions as responsible for important resources on behalf of all Iraqis and build a strong and resilient Iraq that meets the basic needs of all Iraqis.

Romanowski concluded her article by saying, “The United States is proud of its partnership with the Iraqi government on priorities that help improve the lives of the general Iraqi people, and the issue of water is an essential area of cooperation. Working together to improve water management in Iraq will also help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. The United States has expertise in both our government and the private sector and we pledge to help Iraq move forward in providing sustainable and accessible water to all Iraqis.”

yota691 · July 13, 2022

'We don't need your companies'

Ahmed Al-Asadi responds to a comment by the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad regarding the reality of water in Iraq

2022.07.12 - 19:05

Baghdad - people

The leader in the coordination framework, Ahmed Al-Asadi, responded, on Tuesday, to a comment by the Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Ali Reza Konay, regarding water in Iraq.

Al-Asadi said in a blog post seen by "Nass" (July 12, 2022), "We do not need your companies, but your commitment to international law and good-neighborliness... Give us our right to our water and we know how to use it."

He added, "Does the Turkish ambassador know that his country exceeds more than 60% of Iraq's water share, in contravention of the international law of riparian countries?"

Al-Asadi's response came to Konai's comment on the water file in Iraq, in which he said: "For this purpose, investments must be made in infrastructure and Turkish companies are ready for this. Water is wasted greatly in Iraq. Immediate measures must be taken to reduce this waste."

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yota691 · July 13, 2022

strong statement

The Ministry of Resources: Turkey is not a guardian of Iraq, and it must release its water quota according to the charters

2022.07.12 - 22:35

Baghdad - people

Today, Tuesday, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources responded to the statements of the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Reza Konay, regarding the water crisis in Iraq.

The ministry said in a statement received by "Nass" (July 12, 2022), that "the statements of the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad about wasting water are incorrect and raise public opinion and threaten societal peace in Iraq. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should summon the Turkish ambassador and file a protest note against his repeated statements in this regard."

She added, "Turkey is not a guardian of Iraq, and it must release Iraq's fair and equitable share according to international conventions without interfering with Iraq's water policy."

The ministry statement continued, "Turkey always argues about the issue of water waste in an attempt to mix the papers in order to give itself the right to reduce Iraq's water share, and this is what is happening now, knowing that the storage in their dams has reached levels that are considered very good."

The Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Ali Reza Günay, said earlier today that the drought is not only the problem of Iraq, but the problem of Turkey and our entire region.

Gunay said in a series of tweets on Twitter, "The drought is not only the problem of Iraq, but the problem of Turkey and our entire region, and as a result of global warming, there will be more droughts in the coming years."

He explained, "The most effective way to combat this problem is not to demand more water from Turkey, but to use the available water in the most efficient way, and in order to rationalize water consumption, irrigation systems must be modernized and to abandon primitive irrigation that causes water waste."

The Turkish ambassador added, "For this purpose, investments must be made in infrastructure and Turkish companies are ready for this," noting that "water is wasted greatly in Iraq, and immediate measures must be taken to reduce this waste."

And Günay said, "Turkey, by its nature, uses water to meet its requirements in agriculture and energy, but it never changes the course of the rivers or cuts off its water."

He pointed out that "Turkey is not a water-rich country, despite that, as the President of our Republic said: (Water is a blessing from God.

The head of the National Bond bloc, MP Ahmed Al-Asadi, also responded to a comment by the Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Ali Reza Konay, regarding water in Iraq.

Al-Asadi said in a blog post, "We do not need your companies, but your commitment to international law and good-neighbourliness.. Give us our right to our water and we know how to use it."

He added, "Does the Turkish ambassador know that his country exceeds more than 60% of Iraq's water share, in contravention of the international law of riparian countries?"

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yota691 · July 13, 2022

The Minister of Water Resources responds to the statements of the Turkish ambassador: You are not the guardian of Iraq

Time: 07/12/2022 22:36:07
Reading: 3,614 times

{Local: Al Furat News} The Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani, responded today, Tuesday, to the statements of the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad about wasting water, while stressing that Turkey is trying to mix papers under the pretext of wasting water.

The minister said in a statement that {Euphrates News} received a copy of it, that "the statements of the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad about wasting water are incorrect and raise public opinion and threaten societal peace in Iraq," calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "summon the ambassador and submit a protest note against his repeated statements in this regard." .

He added that "Turkey is not a guardian of Iraq, and it must release Iraq's fair and equitable share according to international conventions without interfering with Iraq's water policy."

He pointed out that "Turkey always argues about the issue of water waste in an attempt to mix the papers in order to give itself the right to reduce Iraq's water share, and this is what is happening now," noting that "the storage in their dams has reached levels that are considered very good."

yota691 · July 16, 2022

At the request of an Iraqi

Turkey announces its readiness to increase water releases in the coming days

07.16.2022 - 13:35

Baghdad - people

On Saturday, the Ministry of Water Resources announced Turkey's readiness to increase water releases during the next few days.

And the ministry stated in a statement that "Nass" received a copy of it, (July 16, 2022), that "the Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani, held a virtual meeting with the Special Envoy of the Iraqi Prime Minister for Water Affairs this morning with the envoy of the Turkish President for Water Affairs Vesel Oroglu, to discuss the situation The water imports of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers entering Iraq, and the meeting included Minister al-Hamdani's request from the Turkish side to reconsider the plan for water releases in a way that secures Iraq's need to overcome the current water scarcity conditions.

According to the statement, "the Turkish President's Special Envoy for Water Affairs expressed his readiness to cooperate with Iraq by instructing the Turkish Water and Dams Corporation to increase water releases during the next few days, according to the available reserves."

He added, "During the virtual meeting, it was agreed between the two sides to send an Iraqi technical delegation to on-site look at the reality of the water storage in the Turkish dams and to discuss the operational plans for those dams according to the available storage to overcome the current water scarcity crisis that Iraq is going through."

The meeting was attended, according to the statement, by the technical advisor to the ministry and director general of the National Center for Water Resources Management.

Earlier, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources responded to the statements of the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Reza Konay, regarding the water crisis in Iraq.