Iraq – Al-Janabi announced an agreement with Turkey on a mechanism to protect the Tigris River from drought

Baghdad-Iraq 9/6/2018

The Minister of Water Resources Hassan al-Janabi said in a press conference held on Thursday in Baghdad that an agreement has been made with Turkey on a mechanism to protect the Tigris River from drought and prevent the Ilisu dam from getting full in the period from June 1 to November 1, but Turkey has postponed it to the beginning of July, adding that the ministry shares the concerns of the citizens and the official bodies about Iraq’s water quotas and the absence of long-term agreements on the shared water to achieve water and food security in accordance with the international laws and the interests of riparian countries. He also pointed out that the ministry is keen to negotiate with everyone and that the water-related relationship with the neighboring countries is good, however, it requires further dialogue to reach a permanent agreement, pointing out that Iraq could not prevent the neighboring countries from building dams, especially that they have sources, and we do not want to boycott these countries, but we are working to bring the views closer.