BAGHDAD, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab said Sunday that Iraq has formally requested Türkiye to increase water releases into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to alleviate the country's critical water shortages.
The request, made during his visit to Türkiye, specifies an increase of 500 cubic meters per second for both the Tigris River and the Euphrates River for October and November, according to a ministry statement.
Stressing that this year is the most difficult and severe in Iraq's water shortage since 1933, Diab emphasized that the increase is critical for Iraq to improve its water reserves over the next 50 days, citing forecasts of a wet season beginning in December.
The Turkish side acknowledged the request and expressed its readiness to assist Iraq, said the statement, noting that the two sides agreed on a draft framework agreement concerning water, which is slated to be signed in Baghdad.
The talks in Ankara were part of ongoing efforts between the two neighboring countries to enhance cooperation and jointly manage water resources.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are a pair of large rivers in southwestern Asia, which originate in Türkiye and flow southeast through Syria and Iraq. ■
