HPA Director Yıldız:Water, Oil and National Security in the Middle East cannot be considered separately.
Director of of Hydropolitics Academy Center Dursun Yıldız commented on FM Çavusoğlu visit to Iraq.
Water, Oil and National Security in the Middle East cannot be considered separately.
Turkey foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Iraq to discuss trade, border security and water resources. The two-day visit beginning Sunday will include stops in the autonomous Kurdish region and Basra, Iraq main oil hubTurkey foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Iraq to discuss trade, border security and water resources. The two-day visit began Sunday in Baghdad ,Basra, Iraq main oil hub and stoped in the autonomous Kurdish region
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his Iraqi counterpart, Mohamed Alhakim, in Baghdad on Sunday..
The statements made by Cavusoglu, after a series of meetings "Turkey will work together on water to the Iraqis, to improve the trade volume between the two countries," he said.
Turkey is expected to rebalance its oil supplies after the U.S. announced it would end the waivers that have allowed Turkey to import from Iran despite sanctions. Iraq is one of Turkey leading suppliers of crude oil.
20 days ago,Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed a new special envoy to
Iraq to resolve the water sharing issues between the two countries. Deputy Foreign Minister Nizar al-Khairallah had said the Iraqi government is looking forward for the Turkish envoy’s visit to
Baghdad to negotiate the water issue.
Khairallah also had pointed out that the water issue is part of Iraq’s national security and a strategic subject that serves the interests of the country.
Dursun Yıldız, Head of the SPD Hydropolitic Academy Center, discusses the recent comments on Water and Oil in the region as follows:
"After the USA oil export restrictions of Iran,Turkey as acountry expert about half of total oil from Iran begin to search.an new country to oil export. Turkey's oil export trend from Iraq has declined and turned to Iran.
Turkey is expected to rebalance its oil supplies after the U.S. announced it would end the waivers that have allowed Turkey to import from Iran despite sanctions.
The main objective of the visit is strenghting the relations between Iraq and Turkey on the base of mutually interest. Turkey has followed vey moderate water diplomacy from relasing extra water to postponing the filling of the Ilısu Dam reservoir against Iraq.
The Middle East is a very difficult region to set up an interrelationship between countries even if it is extreemly beneficial for their own mutually interest . In addition to this the periodic coercion of the international system, long internal wars and demolitions have forced the countries of the region to further co-operation. Today, the situation shows that cooperation in the region is essential for water, oil and national security issues. However, there are still difficulties in front .For example of Turkey's continuing concerns about border security in northern Iraq and northern Syria as well as Kurdish Political Movement in the region
The status of Kirkuk oil is still a problem between the Regional Government and the Central Government of Iraq.
The Kirkuk region has approximately 20% of Iraq's total oil reserves, Until October 2017, it was exported to Ceyhan port with an average of 300 thousand barrels per day.
Due to the unresolved disputes between the Iraqi central government and the KRG, Kirkuk oil cannot be exported to the Ceyhan port for a year. After the Iran embargo,the importance of the Pipeline Route on Turkey has increased once again. The Peshmerga forces affiliated to the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) were deployed the region in June 2014 in order to protect Kirkuk from the attacks of the terrorist organization DAESH. Kirkuk and oil reserves remained under the control of the KRG for almost 3 years. Following the illegitimate independence referendum on 25 September, Iraq army jointly organized joint operations against Kirkuk and other controversial regions.
Central government suspended Kirkuk's crude oil flow to Ceyhan port via KRG pipeline after providing control in Kirkuk and other controversial regions
The Iraqi central government is reluctant to export its oil under the KRG control and wants to do it alone. But the central government needs a pipeline to do this. Therefore, I think that Çavuşoğlu stopped in Erbil after Baghdad and Basra to evaluate this unlocked issue with KRG politicians
We, as the SPD Hydropolitic Academy Center, argue that there is a vital need for regional cooperation and development projects on Water, Energy, Food Safety in the region. Last developments and improving relations between Turkey and Iraq confirm us.
Climate change has begun more effective in the region, and the search for mutually beneficial cooperation on these issues needs to be accelerated.
We, as the SPD Hydropolitic Academy Center, argue that there is a need for regional cooperation and development projects on Water, Energy, Food Safety in the region. Developments confirm us. The threat of climate change is more effective in the region, and the search for mutually beneficial cooperation on these issues needs to be accelerated.
Although last meetings are small steps forward It shows that water, oil and national security are inseparably intertwined.and can force countries to cooperate for their own future and regional stability
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