Drought-stricken Iraq sends delegation to Turkey to discuss water cooperation
Turkey recently agreed to release more water to Iraq amid the drought in the country, indicating improving coordination on resource management after years of tensions over Turkish dams.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein led a delegation to Turkey on Friday to discuss water issues between the two countries as Baghdad seeks to cooperate with its northern neighbor in response to the historically severe drought in the country.
Hussein is in Ankara for talks focused on water resources management by Iraq and Turkey and is accompanied by officials from Iraq’s water resources, agriculture and environment ministries, as well as experts from the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
“This meeting comes within the framework of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between Iraq and Turkey and to explore ways to manage water resources in a sustainable and equitable manner,” read a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey would help Iraq with its water struggles during a press conference alongside Hussein, describing the issue as a "shared problem." Hussein described Iraq's water situation as "dangerous" at the presser and said the two spoke about the release of water from Turkey.
