US embassy cable - 05ANKARA1230

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Rende said that this is a long-standing request, originally 
made to the former Iraqi government in May 2001 and renewed 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