SHARING TIGRIS-EUPHRATES WATER DATA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001230

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2010
TAGS: SENV EAID PREL IZ SY TU
SUBJECT: SHARING TIGRIS-EUPHRATES WATER DATA

REF: A. 2004 ANKARA 1373

B. 2004 BAGHDAD 360

C. 2004 ANKARA 5780

D. TURKISH MFA WEBSITE: WWW.MFA.COM.TR/MFA/MAINISSUES

Classified By: Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman. Reasons 1.4
b & d.


1. (C) Post understands from Embassy Baghdad's February
14-20 Essential Services Report that Iraqi Water Minister
Rashid may be about to or have already sent a letter to the
Turkish government requesting technical data on Tigris and
Euphrates water supplies.


2. (C) In a March 2 meeting on other issues, the Foreign
Ministry's water expert DDG Mithat Rende told ECON/C that the
GOT had within the last year provided such data to Iraq and
that it did not intend to provide any further information
until it received a response to a Turkish request for
information on the uses of Tigris-Euphrates water in Iraq.
Rende said that this is a long-standing request, originally
made to the former Iraqi government in May 2001 and renewed
last year in a diplomatic note sent by the Turkish embassy in
Baghdad. In addition to water flows and uses, the Turks
asked for details on Iraqi water institutions and physical
infrastructure.


3. (C) As post has reported over the years (most recently
refs a and b) Turkey's official policy on water issues (also
described in detail on the MFA website - ref D),supports
cooperation with Iraq and Syria. Turkey's policy is that
such cooperation should be guided by acceptance of a basic
principle that the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates are to
be shared by the three riparian states in an equitable manner
based on the best and most efficient uses of the water in the
Tigris-Euphrates basin taken as a whole. The policy rejects
allocating water according to "mathematical" formulas that
are based on assertions by Iraq or Syria of "acquired" or
historical "rights."


4. (C) Turkish officials believe that acceptance of the
idea of looking at water sources and uses within the
Mesopotamian basin globally is a long-term vision that does
not currently have political support in Iraq and Syria (and
perhaps Turkey). They have therefore suggested "confidence
building measures" that would build political support for
such an approach. Former President Demirel, who is often
perceived as a Turkish hawk on water issues, outlined
possible measures in a September 2004 speech to a University
of California Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy
meeting in Ankara. Demirel, speaking for the GOT, said water
dialogue could "be initiated through informal exchange of
information and data at experts level," proceed to
discussions of general principles, and eventually to include
cross border projects.


5. (C) Demirel's speech followed an August 2004 Ankara
meeting between Minister Rashid and Turkish FM Gul in which
Rashid proposed that the two sides begin active cooperation
on water issues. IGC officials also raised water cooperation
in a February 2004 meeting that included CPA representatives.
Rightly or wrongly, another Iraqi data request that did not
respond to Turkish information requests and acknowledge the
notion of reciprocity and cooperation would undoubtedly be
rejected by Ankara as a signal that Iraq's post-1958 zero-sum
understanding of water cooperation has not changed. USG
intervention in support of a unilateral Iraqi request would
be fruitless.


6. (C) Comment: The Turks tell us they would welcome
"facilitation" by third parties like the United States in
helping the three countries reach a consensus on the need for
cooperation. However, they reject a role for go-betweens or
outside mediation that would allow the parties to avoid
direct interaction. Given the key role these issues will
play in good relations between Turkey and Iraq, facilitative
steps the U.S. government might consider include support for
and participation in academic conferences that would be
attended by representatives of other riparian countries.
Such conferences could lead to academic studies on how the
concept of integrated river basin management would be applied
in the Tigris-Euphrates context. In addition, the United
States might want to look at financial support for projects
that would help create a shared water database. Such
projects could include use of satellite and other remote
technology for non-intrusive monitoring of water flows and
uses. In any case, we would welcome an early visit by USG
water experts to Ankara and southeastern Turkey that would
build and update our technical understanding of Turkish
policies and water infrastructure.


7. (U) Minimize considered.
EDELMAN