Resume the water negotiations with Syria

According to information taken from diplomatic sources, Turkey’s approach on the water issue which has been debated since 1993 but not negotiated, has focused on solving the dispute under a cooperative framework.

The same sources stated that the studies for the solution will be focused over the priciple of "the cooperation for two rivers and one basin". However, the sources also said it was not clear yet whether these studies will be conducted by a "joint committee".

According to experts the Turkish approach based on two essential features; firstly, the Euphrates and Tigris have to be considered as forming one single transboundary watercourse system. They are linked not only by their natural course when merging at the Shatt-al-Arab, but also because of a man-made Tharthar Canal connection between the two rivers in Iraq. Consequently, all existing and future agricultural water uses need not necessarily be derived from the Euphrates. Irrigation water for areas fed by the Euphrates, may also be supplied from the Tigris River.

Secondly, the inventory of water and land resources should be drawn up and evaluated jointly since the methods used in each country for data collection, interpretation and evaluation show disparities from country to country and are not readily applicable to transboundary watercourses. Finally, necessary means and measures should be determined to attain the most reasonable and optimum utilization of resources on the basis of the joint studies.

Turkey also believes that an equitable, rational and optimum utilization of water resources can be achieved through a scientific study which will determine the true water needs of each riparian country. The steps taken in this direction will create a positive atmosphere which will be conducive to use in cooperation and mutual benefit not only water but also other natural resources. Thus, these steps will also promote confidence between the states of the region.

In the past, the Syrian side did not accept the Turkish proposal and Syrian officials claimed that Syria possesses acquired rights, dating from ancient periods, over the rivers that pass through Syrian territory. Syria had also claimed that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers are "international watercourses" which can be classified as "shared resources". The waters of those rivers must be shared among the riparian states according to a quota to be determined. They further claim that such an allocation should be realized through a simple "mathematical formula".

However, Turkey has offered Syria and Iraq a plan for more rational utilization of the waters of the basin. The full name of the plan is "Three-Staged Plan for Optimum, Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of the Transboundary Watercourses of the Euphrates-Tigris Basin" and was first introduced during the 5th meeting of the Joint Technical Committee between November 5-8, 1984.

Turkey has reiterated her proposal during the following meetings of the Joint Technical Committee, the tripartite meeting at ministerial level on June 26, 1990 and bilateral talks with Syria and Iraq in 1993. The plan, that is briefly called "The Three-Staged Plan", aims at achieving a solution satisfactory to all parties.

Miro — the first Syrian premier to visit Turkey in 17 years — met with Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and other top officials on Tuesday.

Syrian-Turkish ties have improved sharply since the late 1990s, when Turkey threatened military action against Syria over its hosting and support of terrorists of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The threat forced Damascus to expel terrorist cieftain Abdullah Ocalan, who is now imprisoned in Imrali prision.

One reason for Turkey to develop ties with Syria is to prevent Turkish Kurdish rebels from finding safe havens there again.

During the past three years, Syria and Turkey have signed military and security agreements and the volume of trade between the two countries has reached some US$1 billion.

However, the two countries are still at odds over Syria’s claims to Turkey’s Hatay province, which has a large Arab population, and the sharing of water from the Euphrates River.