The completion of Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia Project (aka DAP in Turkish) will further reduce water flow to Iran through the Aras River in the northeast by at least 30%, the head of the Energy Ministry’s department of border rivers and joint water resources said.
“The massive reduction from the transboundary water resource that starts in Turkey and flows through Iran will adversely affect the livelihood of farming communities in the northeastern provinces of Ardabil and East Azarbaijan,” IRNA also quoted Jabbar Vatanfada as saying.
The economic well-being of thousands of farmers, whose agribusinesses depend on the cross-border river, has been worsened by the chronic water crisis in Iran. Turkey’s unacceptable move will not only exacerbate the situation but also have a damaging impact on Tehran-Ankara’s long-term relationship, he added.
The Eastern Anatolia Project is a master development plan being carried out by the Turkish government with the aim of developing the eastern regions of the nation, entailing the construction of several dams and diverting Aras River water to adjacent agricultural and industrial units.
According to the official, close to 230,000 hectares of farmland are expected to be irrigated by pumping water from the shared water resource that will certainly dwindle other neighbors’ fair share significantly, resulting in tensions between the two countries.
“Although the two states have retained cordial relations for long, such issues hold the potential of straining bilateral ties. Such inconsiderate behavior will inflict environmental damage and Tehran has to follow the case through tactful dialogues since Turkey is not a signatory of the 1997 New York Convention on the Non-Navigational Use of Transboundary Waters, which prevents Tehran from suing Ankara internationally,” he said.
A Turkish hydropower plant and a dam are already operational on the Aras, while another dam is currently being filled and a third is under construction. Turkey is also building a dam on a tributary of the Aras, with 25% of the reservoir slated for potable water needs and the rest for irrigation.
Settling Conflicts
According to Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, settling conflicts concerning cross-border resources with Turkey is feasible through diplomatic channels.
“Pursuing robust water diplomacy is the best approach to help Iran assess effective and sustainable solutions for the joint management of transboundary water resources with neighboring nations, including Turkey,” he said.
The diplomatic strategy can also help promote regional cooperation, in addition to tapping into joint water resources peacefully. It is expected to result in reasonable and peaceful solutions to alleviate water-related concerns while promoting collaboration among riparian stakeholders such as Iran and Turkey.
Turkey’s ambitious plans to build dams on shared water resources have aggravated water crisis not only in Iran, but also in Iraq and Syria.
Turkish officials insist that they are building mega structures in mountainous areas to collect water for power generation.
Nonetheless, such projects have substantially reduced the inflow of water into Iran from rivers originating in Turkey over the past decade due to the neighbor’s dam-building schemes.
Political Goals
Turkey is using its access to abundant water resources as a weapon to attain its political goals, Reza Hajkarim, a member of Iran Water Industry Federation, a privately-owned organization, said.
Regular meetings can help address issues related to transboundary water resources, such as Sarisou, Aras and Qarasou rivers more effectively, he added.
Such negotiations have already helped Iran settle water issues with Iraq over Zab River along the western borders and if Iranian officials are persistent, the same approach will guarantee Iran’s fair share from shared resources with other neighbors, including Turkey.
“I have negotiated with my Turkish counterpart at least three times over the past eight months – in two meetings in New York and Tehran, and during a telephone conversation - to rethink the construction of dams on the Aras River,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.
The Foreign Ministry does not approve of Turkey’s dam construction on the border water resources and believes that such moves are not justifiable and both MPs and the government should join hands to deal with the issue and secure Iran’s national interests, he added.
Amir-Abdollahian noted that all legal and political measures have been taken in this regard between Tehran and Ankara, and hopefully the problem will be solved through diplomatic channels.
Iran’s Department of Environment has already warned that Turkey’s move to build Ilisu Dam over Tigris River will pose a serious environmental threat to Iraq and eventually Iran by reducing the inflow of Tigris water to Iraqi territory by 50%.
Over the past half century, Turkey has built 22 dams and 19 hydropower plants on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as part of its multibillion dollar Southeast Anatolia Project that has caused severe drought in large parts of Syria and Iraq.
