Iraq, Turkey discuss water crisis amid claims of unmet release commitments

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani on Sunday met with Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad Anil Bora Inan to discuss bilateral relations and a critical water-sharing agreement, as Iraq grapples with its most severe water crisis in decades.

A statement from Mashhadani’s office said the meeting addressed “the water dossier and the necessity of continuing to pump Iraq's share of water, in addition to the agreed-upon additional releases.”

For his part, the Turkish ambassador reaffirmed his country’s commitment to cooperation with Iraq, stating that his country “is open to Iraq on all political and economic files, and gives its interests priority over others.” He also asserted that the release of water quotas is “proceeding according to what was agreed upon.”

In early July, Turkey agreed to increase water releases into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by 420 cubic meters per second, following a meeting in Ankara between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Speaker Mashhadani.

A statement from the Iraqi parliament at the time quoted Erdogan as “responding positively” to Iraq’s request, saying, “Turkey shares what God has bestowed upon it with its brothers in Iraq and will not withhold it from them.”

Iraq heavily depends on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for its water supply - both of which originate in Turkey. However, major dam projects in Turkey, including the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), have significantly reduced the flow of water into Iraq, contributing to severe drought, desertification, and environmental degradation. Iraq is currently receiving less than 40 percent of its historical water share.

Following Erdogan’s commitment, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani ordered “the monitoring of flows, especially those entering northern Iraq across the borders [from Turkey],” the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) then-reported.

INA further cited the Iraqi Water Minister Aoun Diab as emphasizing the importance of ensuring “the extent of the Turkish side's adherence to President Erdogan’s directives - especially since they came from the highest level.”

The Sunday meeting notably came only days after Thaer al-Jabouri, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s agriculture, irrigation, and marshlands committee, described the water situation as “extremely dangerous,” accusing Ankara of failing to uphold the agreement.

Turkey "has not committed to releasing Iraq's water shares,” he told Rudaw, adding that "the increase in water lasted only a few days and then returned to the same previous situation."

Similarly, Ahmed Dubardani, a member of the Nineveh Provincial Council’s agriculture and water committee last week attributed a dramatic drop in water levels at the Mosul Dam - one of Iraq’s largest reservoirs - to both a dry winter and reduced water releases from Turkey.

Iraq’s water crisis is driven by a combination of factors, including climate change, declining rainfall, poor resource management, and upstream damming by neighboring countries.

Compounding the crisis is the lack of a comprehensive water-sharing agreement with Turkey and Iran. As a result, Iraq remains exposed to unilateral upstream decisions that directly impact its water security.

The World Resources Institute lists Iraq among the 25 countries facing “extreme water stress,” meaning it is using more than 80 percent of its available water resources - leaving it highly vulnerable in the event of short-term droughts.

Public frustration is also mounting. Southern provinces, especially Basra, have witnessed widespread protests in recent months over acute water shortages and pollution, increasing pressure on officials to secure long-term solutions.