Iraq secures new water deal with Turkiye
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan signed an executive mechanism for their countries’ water cooperation agreement.
The mechanism follows a 2024 framework deal and months of negotiations. In July, Turkiye agreed to raise water releases to 420 cubic meters per second and assist in irrigation and reservoir projects across Iraq.
Hussein described the agreement as the first formal framework for coordinated river management and equitable water sharing.
According to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office, the accord aims to deliver lasting solutions to Iraq’s worsening drought through joint infrastructure projects.
Iraq is enduring its worst drought in more than nine decades, with the Tigris and Euphrates flowing at less than half their historical averages due to upstream damming and declining rainfall.
