Türkiye's water releases are reduced by half, and Iraq's eyes are awaiting Erdogan's visit

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[size=52]Türkiye's water releases are reduced by half, and Iraq's eyes are awaiting Erdogan's visit[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Hussein Hatem[/size]
[size=45]Iraq is still awaiting the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, so that the water file will be a top priority among the files raised between the two countries, as Iraq depends on 70% of neighboring countries’ water revenues, while it wastes large amounts of water in light of old irrigation and living techniques. In a culture of extravagance.[/size]
[size=45]Erdogan's upcoming visit to the capital, Baghdad, was announced by the Iraqi government during a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani and Turkish Ambassador Ali Riza Konai, about two months ago, but so far no other official position has been issued regarding it.[/size]
[size=45]Water releases coming from Turkey to Iraq reached 223 cubic meters per second, up from 500 cubic meters per second shortly after the Sudanese visit to Turkey.[/size]
[size=45]The spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources, Khaled Shamal, says, “Water releases from Turkey to Iraq increased after the recent visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani to Ankara, but they quickly returned to a low level.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, “The Turkish water releases reached 500 cubic meters per second for about two weeks, then they began to fluctuate little by little until they reached 223 cubic meters per second, or about half of the releases.” Shamal pointed out, “There is a daily water deficit of more than 250 cubic meters per second, which is compensated by the Mosul Dam,” pointing out that “there is a slight increase in the Euphrates River, which is connected to Syria.” He pointed out that “the Ministry of Water Resources resorts to strategic water storage when releases are scarce,” stressing that “the water file is complex because Iraq depends on 70% of its revenues from neighboring countries.” The spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources stated, “The Iraqis live a culture of abundance, and this culture has produced behaviors that have contributed to extravagance and lack of rationalization,” noting that “there is a curriculum regarding the upcoming visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq, protocols that will be observed, and many files that will be discussed.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Adel Al-Mukhtar, a specialist in water and agricultural affairs, says, “It has become necessary to rely on modern irrigation techniques in Iraq, due to the country facing a serious and major drought crisis,” considering that “the use of modern techniques contributes to solving a large part of the crisis, as it reduces A large amount of water wastage.[/size]
[size=45]He added, “The participation of the private sector in providing modern irrigation techniques is a good thing, but there must be government steps that impose the use of modern irrigation techniques on farmers, so that there is no waste of water,” stressing that “modern irrigation techniques are sufficient to save and develop the agricultural reality in the country.” .[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar pointed out, “The numbers announced in the statements about the water saved after filling the lakes are incorrect,” indicating, “Why did the Ministry of Water Resources not move to increase releases if it had sufficient storage?”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that “the water reserve does not exceed one million and a quarter cubic meters, and the announced numbers are incorrect,” adding, “The advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the cultivated areas in the plan amounted to 12 million dunums.”[/size]
[size=45]The water affairs specialist continued, “The Minister of Water Resources announced the cultivation of 6 and a half million dunams using surface irrigation,” adding that “filling the fish lakes is a big mistake committed by water resources, and the coming winter will be rainy.”[/size]
[size=45]He stressed that “the Turkish president’s visit is a historic opportunity for Iraq and the need to exploit it and solve the water crisis,” noting that “the state is wrong in not containing the expansion of fish lakes that have not been approved for years.”[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources decided earlier to reduce the area allocated for agriculture, due to the lack of water revenues coming from Turkey and Iran, amid warnings that water scarcity threatens to collapse Iraqis’ food security.[/size]
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