Hurriyet Daily News with wires
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Nisan 01, 2009 16:38
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ISTANBUL - Iraq is suffering from a water shortage because of the policies of Turkey and Iran, and insufficient winter rainfall, the country's cabinet minister in charge of managing water resources said Wednesday.
Iraqis are seeking a "sufficient and fair share of water" from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Abdul-Latif Jamal Rasheed was quoted by AP as telling reporters.
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Rasheed said neighboring Turkey and Iran have built large number of dams and reservoirs on tributaries of the two rivers.Â
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Turkish President Abdullah Gul reportedly promised last month to double the amount of water allocated to Iraq from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers during a visit to the Baghdad.
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The Tigris and the Euphrates have their source in Turkey, with the latter also flowing through Syria before reaching Iraq, which desperately needs more water for agriculture and domestic consumption.Â