Latest news with #ThaerMukhayef
Shafaq News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq watchdog: Turkiye's pledges won't stop drought fallout
Shafaq News – Baghdad The Green Iraq Observatory on Tuesday disputed the effectiveness of Turkiye's recent water releases, warning that Iraq remains on the brink of another 'water disaster' despite regional pledges. In its statement, the Observatory noted that the discharges into the Tigris and Euphrates are limited to July and August—dismissing them as a short-term fix that fails to address Iraq's worsening drought, particularly in the southern provinces, where salinity levels in Basra continue to render water undrinkable. It also highlighted the heavy toll of prolonged drought, which has wiped out over 500 buffaloes. Calling each buffalo 'a self-contained dairy unit,' the group cautioned that many herders have been forced to sell their livestock for slaughter—jeopardizing the country's vulnerable animal wealth. Authorities, the Observatory argued, must pursue consistent water flows backed by strategic long-term planning to confront Iraq's deepening water crisis. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani recently announced that Iraq had secured pledges from Turkiye and Syria to increase water discharges—around 320 cubic meters per second toward Mosul Dam and another 350 via Syria—after weeks of diplomatic engagement. The Ministry of Agriculture adjusted the summer cultivation plan following the deal, anticipating better water reserves for the upcoming winter season. Yet experts dismissed the measure as largely symbolic, noting that the additional water has yet to deliver tangible improvements on the ground. MP Thaer Mukhayef warned that Iraq's crisis will persist unless new dams are built. He also revealed that Turkiye has linked long-term cooperation to the awarding of dam contracts to Turkish firms—cautioning that failure to comply may spark unrest in drought-hit regions.
Shafaq News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MP: Turkiye using water as leverage in dam talks
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Ankara Iraq's water crisis remains unresolved amid sharply reduced flows from Turkiye, with a parliamentary committee affirming that only new dam construction can secure the country's long-term water needs. MP Thaer Mukhayef told Shafaq News that Ankara has linked any increase in water releases to Iraq awarding dam contracts to Turkish companies. He cautioned that failure to honor the bilateral water agreement could trigger widespread protests in drought-hit regions. Mukhayef urged Iraqi authorities to intensify efforts to alleviate severe shortages in the country's southern and central provinces. 'The situation in the southern provinces and the Euphrates basin is dire,' he said. A source at Mosul Dam confirmed earlier to Shafaq News that water releases into the Tigris River have reached 350 cubic meters per second. Although inflows from Turkiye have risen slightly, they remain well below levels outlined in the water agreement. Iraq faces mounting water insecurity due to extreme heat, low rainfall, and shrinking reserves. Experts warn the crisis will have serious social consequences, particularly in the southern marshlands, including rising poverty, reverse migration, and growing tensions over access to water.
