Water Policy in Turkey
“How can Turkey justify its water policy while there are water shortages across the Middle East? Should the water sources of Turkey be shared with other countries of the Middle East?”
Water Wealth: Empowering Turkey Politically and Economically in the Middle East
Introduction
Turkey’s water policy of damming the Euphrates and Tigris is in fact justified because there are water shortages in the Middle East and the world as a whole. This is largely due to massive population growth experienced across the world since the end of World War Two, as well as climate change which has created unstable weather patterns. As a result, especially in arid regions like the Middle East, water is becoming more precious than ever before.
Turkey is comparably rich in this resource and should therefore use it to both develop domestically and as a bargaining tool to gain concessions from downstream countries, especially Syria and Iraq. Given the volatility these mainly Arab countries demonstrate, and their frequent disputes with Turkey, the latter is being incredibly pragmatic and long sighted through creating an extensive network of dams. These will grant Turkey a critical negotiation advantage in further dealings with both Syria and Iraq.
Additionally, the water sources of Turkey can be sold or traded for other commodities with countries in the region. Thus, growing water shortages across the Middle East could result in an economic dividend for the country.
Water Scarcity: Globally and in the Middle East
Across the world, demand for fresh water is increasing. This is primarily the result of rapid population growth experienced during the last 60 years. In fact since then, the world’s population has almost tripled from 2.5 billion to over 7 billion today.1 Consequently, more water is needed for agriculture, health and manufacturing purposes than ever before. Food security is especially underpinned by water supplies as 70% of water utlisation worldwide is used
Water Wealth: Empowering Turkey Politically and Economically in the Middle East
Introduction
Turkey’s water policy of damming the Euphrates and Tigris is in fact justified because there are water shortages in the Middle East and the world as a whole. This is largely due to massive population growth experienced across the world since the end of World War Two, as well as climate change which has created unstable weather patterns. As a result, especially in arid regions like the Middle East, water is becoming more precious than ever before.
Turkey is comparably rich in this resource and should therefore use it to both develop domestically and as a bargaining tool to gain concessions from downstream countries, especially Syria and Iraq. Given the volatility these mainly Arab countries demonstrate, and their frequent disputes with Turkey, the latter is being incredibly pragmatic and long sighted through creating an extensive network of dams. These will grant Turkey a critical negotiation advantage in further dealings with both Syria and Iraq.
Additionally, the water sources of Turkey can be sold or traded for other commodities with countries in the region. Thus, growing water shortages across the Middle East could result in an economic dividend for the country.
Water Scarcity: Globally and in the Middle East
Across the world, demand for fresh water is increasing. This is primarily the result of rapid population growth experienced during the last 60 years. In fact since then, the world’s population has almost tripled from 2.5 billion to over 7 billion today.1 Consequently, more water is needed for agriculture, health and manufacturing purposes than ever before. Food security is especially underpinned by water supplies as 70% of water utlisation worldwide is used