Turkey refuses to release water from Euphrates, Tigris rivers to Iraq

The Iraqi Green Observatory announced that Turkey has once again refused to release water through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as stipulated in the agreement signed between Turkey and Iraq.

In a statement, the Observatory said, "Turkey's justification is the lack of clarity in the agreement with Iraq, and it cannot release any water without Iraq first implementing the agreement."

The Observatory explained that "the continued drought in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the delayed rainy season will lead to a catastrophe for Iraq in the coming days, potentially affecting drinking water, which has already deteriorated in quality over the past months due to dangerously low water levels."

It indicated that "Turkey, through these actions, seeks to increase pressure on Iraq to accept its demands for concessions at the expense of Iraq's security, economy, and political stability."

The Observatory called on Iraq to "be more resolute, astute, and determined in negotiations on this issue in the coming period, and to reject any concessions that compromise the dignity of the country and its people."

It is worth mentioning that Iraq and Turkey signed an official document on November 2, 2025, to regulate water file management between the two countries; however, disagreements regarding the implementation mechanism persist.

According to the original documents, and given the ambiguity of the Mohamed Shia al-Sudani government in disclosing its full details, the agreement is characterized as a "cooperation and management understanding," lacking any legally binding text or stipulations regarding the volume of water releases that Turkey must allow to flow into Iraq in exchange for the projects it will receive, and will be funded upfront from "Iraqi oil revenues," according to Turkish media reports.

Doubts have grown regarding the agreement's effectiveness and its alignment with national interests, as it places no obligations on Turkey and fails to acknowledge Iraq's rights to the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, despite the significant burdens it imposes on Iraq, in addition to the different expressions exist between the Arabic and English versions of the agreement, particularly given Ankara's failure to release any additional water.

J.J