ISTANBUL — In the first such project in the world, Turkey is planning to pump water to northern Cyprus with the help of an 80-kilometer pipeline running under the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 250 meters. The immediate aim of plan is to provide water for the Turkish sector of Cyprus. But Ankara hopes the technical knowledge gained in the course of the project could enable Turkey to export water to countries in the Middle East as well, potentially contributing to Turkey’s power in the region.
Construction of a dam for the project in the southern Turkish province of Mersin on the Mediterranean coast is scheduled to end March 7. The dam is intended to store water from the Anamur River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea from the Taurus Mountains. If all goes according to plan, the water will be pumped through the pipeline starting in July, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention in Cyprus on July 20, 1974.
