International Water Forum aims to pressure Turkey: AANES official
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – “The forum aims to form a base of statistics and scientific information to recognize the true reality of water and water resources in north and east Syria, so that we can rely on it to take appropriate decisions to solve water problems and overcome challenges and put pressure on Turkey,” said Suleiman Arab, co-chair of Local Administration and Environment in Jazira Region, on Monday.
This came on the sidelines of The International Water Forum in North and East Syria, sponsored by the local administration and the Environment Directorate in Jazira with the participation of the University of Rojava and the Euphrates Center for Studies, which began on Monday.
Several international powers and ambassadors participated in this forum, in addition to many international and local organizations, dozens of specialists, academics, researchers in water resources, and officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Arab stressed, “The forum is an important step for the AANES in order to explain the current reality and put it on the UN table and international powers, and to put pressure on Turkish state, as it practices a water war and monopolizes the main rivers and groundwater basins.”
The forum aims, according to the scheduled program, to “shed light on international charters, laws and agreements on water, the war of monopolizing water resources and their exploitation in political and economic water disputes, and bilateral treaties and agreements signed between Turkey and both Syria and Iraq on water of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.”
During the conference they discussed “the water war that Turkey waged via cutting off the water of the Alouk station and the Euphrates River after it failed to achieve its goals through attacks it conducted on areas of Syria’s north and east, as Turkey must be pressured by all possible means,” Arab indicated.
Many foreign personalities and researchers stressed “the importance of having committees representing the AANES in international forums, and this forum forms the ground for that,” Arab said.
“A committee will emerge from the forum to follow up on the forum’s recommendations, proposals, and to represent the AANES in international forums,” co-chair of Local Administration and Environment in Jazira Region added.
During the first day of the forum, participants discussed the practices of the Turkish state which create water crises in the region, as well as reports from international organizations, the politicization of water, water war, international conflicts, and Turkey’s use of international rivers as a political pressure card.
It is scheduled, on Tuesday, to discuss the environmental impacts of the water crisis and the disasters the region is about to face in general as a result of the deterioration of water security.