Iraq, Turkiye finalize framework to solve water crisis

Shafaq News – Ankara

Iraq and Turkiye are nearing the completion of a long-anticipated water management agreement, ministers revealed on Friday, after high-level talks in Ankara.

Speaking to reporters, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the accord, designed to regulate the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and ease Iraq’s deepening water shortages, “will be signed soon in Baghdad.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that both countries agreed to settle disputes “through dialogue, not confrontation,” underscoring the shared goal of cooperation on water and broader regional stability.

In recent months, Turkiye pledged to increase water releases into Iraq’s rivers to 420 cubic meters per second (m³/s) to help mitigate drought conditions. Monitoring groups, however, report that only 120 m³/s has been delivered, far below Ankara’s commitment, exacerbating Baghdad's crisis.

Read more: Iraq’s southern drought: Policy paralysis and upstream pressures deepen ruralcollapse