Turkey uses the water of Euphrates as a threat

[Anthea]

The Turkish state uses the water of Euphrates as a threat

For a long time, the Turkish state has been cutting off the waters of the Euphrates River flowing into the region, and as such the water wells in Ayîd and Kerîn villages which provide water for many of Tabqa’s villages have dried up.

The people of the region are facing many difficulties from irrigation to electricity production due to the Turkish state cutting off water from the Euphrates River. Raqqa Civilian Assembly Committee of Economy Co-chair Ehmed Sileman protested the water cuts and said, “The Turkish state must have thought their massacres in Northern Syria were not enough, now they are threatening the lives of the people by cutting off the water.

Farmers in the region have suffered great damages due to the Turkish state cutting off the waters of the Euphrates River which they use as a weapon against the peoples of Northern Syria, and power outages have started to occur in Tabqa and various provinces due to the drop in the water levels in dams.

Signs of drought are starting to appear due to the long term reduction in water, while the dams are only able to produce electricity 12 hours a day due to the drop in the water levels.

WATER WELLS IN VILLAGES RUN DRY

For a long time, the Turkish state has been cutting off the waters of the Euphrates River flowing into the region, and as such the water wells in Ayîd and Kerîn villages which provide water for many of Tabqa’s villages have dried up. Officer for Ayîd water wells Ednan El Ciriş stated that the water level at the Ayîd village well has fallen to the level of drying up and said: “The water level is now below the dynamos, so we can’t extract any water from the well.”

IRRIGATION ISSUES

The Jirniya town to the northwest of Tabqa is one of the areas affected by the water cuts. Agriculture is an important part of the town’s economy, and farmers are currently unable to irrigate their fields due to the Turkish state cutting off water from the Euphrates River.

On this issue, Jirniya farmer Mihemed E Muxtar said: “We are by the shore of the Euphrates River, and we don’t have any other sources for irrigation. The Turkish state is fighting against us as they cut off the water. We need it.”

El Muxtar posed the question why international law regarding natural resources like rivers is not implemented: “How could they cut off our water? For over a month we have been unable to irrigate our fields. The fields have been greatly damaged, and this is hurting the whole country.”

Farmers in Al Mansura region of Tabqa are also worried that their wheat and other crops will suffer the Euphrates River being cut off.

“MASSACRES WERE NOT ENOUGH THAT THEY NOW CUT OFF THE WATER”

Raqqa Civilian Assembly Committee of Economy Co-chair Ehmed Sileman said the Turkish state has cut off water from the Euphrates River with dams, and that the water level in Syria has fallen significantly due to that. Sileman added that the Turkish state uses the waters of the river as a weapon against the peoples of Northern Syria: “The Turkish state must have thought their massacres in Northern Syria were not enough, now they are threatening the lives of the people by cutting off the water.”