Turkey and Iran ignore Iraq's calls for dialogue over the water crisis

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Turkey and Iran ignore Iraq's calls for dialogue over the water crisis[/size]

[size=45]The Ministry of Water Resources stated that the Iranian and Turkish sides have not yet responded to Iraq's calls for talks on the water file, and attributed this to reasons related to the political situation and the delay in forming the government.[/size]
[size=45]The ministry's advisor, Aoun Diab, said, in a television interview, which was followed by (Al-Mada), that "a Turkish delegation had intended to conduct a visit to Iraq, and we announced that a while ago."[/size]
[size=45]Diab added, "The delegation has not come until the present time, although we were hoping from this visit that the water file in Turkey is in the hands of the highest level in the country."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "The Turkish side did not inform us of the reasons for not visiting, but we believe that the current situation that Iraq is going through, represented by the failure to form a government and the political blockage, may be the reason."[/size]
[size=45]Diab pointed out that "Iraq has been seeking for a long time to hold meetings with Turkey and Iran regarding the water file, and we are technically ready for any dialogues."[/size]
[size=45]He stated, "This file should not be put on the shelf as it is an important and basic issue, and we have great challenges facing the Iraqi people, and we have a harsh summer ahead."[/size]
[size=45]Diab continues, "The Iranian side also did not respond to our calls for dialogues on the same issue, and we believe that the same reasons are related to the Iraqi political situation in addition to other reasons, as they depend on the 1975 agreement regarding water talks."[/size]
[size=45]He stressed, "This agreement has become almost suspended today, and there is no acceptance of it, especially the Kurdistan region, and other parties consider that the agreement involves a loss for Iraq."[/size]
[size=45]Diab stressed that "Iraq has informed the Iranian side of its readiness to enter into a dialogue on the basis of the protocol annexed to the 1975 agreement, but there is no response or no acceptance, with insistence on the full approval of the agreement."[/size]
[size=45]He spoke about "the possibility of the two parties entering into dialogues to amend the agreement, but any positive steps in this regard have not taken place until the present time."[/size]
[size=45]Diab indicated, "The ministry is in dire need of financial support during this year because the available storage is limited, and it is facing a sharp rise in temperatures, an increase in evaporation rates and dust waves."[/size]
[size=45]He added, "The financial support goes to carrying out exceptional work," noting that "all the ministry's agencies are mobilized to purify a large group of rivers and set up pumping stations, and our goal is to cross the summer."[/size]
[size=45]Diab added that "in the face of this scarcity, the ministry is obligated first to provide the basic necessities of drinking water, human uses, watering orchards, and preventing the salt tongue to the Shatt al-Arab and its impact on the Basra environment."[/size]
[size=45]The water crisis resulting from the lack of rainfall forced the Iraqi government to reduce agricultural areas, while government officials assert that the water storage decreased by 60% from the previous year.[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]