11 May 2022; MEMO: Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said yesterday that Turkey's decision to build dams which would harm the Iranian people and negatively affect water flowing into the Islamic Republic is "not acceptable", local news agency IRNA reported.
"Given the environmental conditions prevailing in the region, it is not acceptable for us that our neighbour country, Turkey, takes measures in the field of dam construction which will cause problems for our people in the country and the region," Abdollahian told members of the Iranian Shura Council.
He added that in recent months he had discussed the matter with his Turkish counterpart at least three times and asked him to pay serious attention to the construction of dams on the Aras River.
Abdollahian explained that while there was no bilateral agreement between Iran and Turkey on water cooperation, four months ago, Tehran submitted a request to Ankara to establish a joint bilateral water committee to address concerns in this field.
The Iranian minister's statement came a week after he stressed during a telephone call with his Turkish counterpart on the importance of accelerating bilateral cooperation with Turkey through a "joint water committee" to deal with climate change and water issues.
Over the years, Iran and Turkey have built many dams, reducing Iraq's main sources of water.
Turkey's construction of a dam on the Aras River, which borders Iran, also threatens the water flowing into the Islamic Republic.
Iraq and Syria, which share the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, signed the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. Turkey and Iran have not activated the agreement.
