ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Friday discussed Iraq’s water scarcity issue and the resumption of the Kurdistan Region's oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline, among myriad other topics pertaining to the two neighboring states.

Hussein arrived in Ankara on Friday, where he held talks with the Turkish top diplomat  amid worsening water shortages across the country, owing to upstream dams built by Turkey along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and Iraq’s drought-prone environment.

“A working committee has been established between Iraq and Turkey to address the rehabilitation of Iraq's water distribution system, as well as other water-related infrastructure,” Fidan told a press conference after the meeting.

“This committee has significantly advanced its work. [Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-]Sudani has tackled the issue of improving Iraq's water distribution system for the first time in a highly systematic, project-by-project manner. However, for these projects to be implemented, a system needed to be established beforehand,” the Turkish foreign minister said, expressing hope that the two sides are “nearing the final stages” of establishing said system.

Fidan added that Turkey currently struggles with water scarcity issues of its own, such as diminished water levels, which have been exacerbated by Turkey’s cultivation of water to produce energy, introducing further strain on the country’s water resources. He noted, however, that despite his country’s difficulties, they are exploring ways to address Iraq’s water issues nevertheless.

The Green Iraq Observatory in early September warned that Turkey’s dam network has drastically reduced Iraq’s water inflows, intensifying an already severe crisis. Turkey has built about 20 dams over four decades, holding roughly 80 billion cubic meters of water, eight times the capacity of Iraq’s Mosul Dam.

The observatory’s report was followed less than a month later by a statement from the Iraqi agricultural ministry, saying that the country’s water reserves have dropped to dangerous levels. The ministry warned that rationing had become essential to protect water security.

Water has been the subject of numerous meetings between Iraqi and Turkish officials in recent years. Around 90 percent of Iraq’s water sources originate from Turkey.

In addition to water, Fidan also shed light on Turkey’s relationship with Iraq in relation to oil. The Turkish foreign minister lauded the resumption of oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline as "a pleasing development," adding that Ankara wants to continue cooperation with Iraq regarding the matter under "a new agreement" in the upcoming period.

“We believe that reaching full capacity in oil shipments will make a significant contribution to our bilateral relations and trade volume. In the coming period, we want to solidify this cooperation with a new agreement,” said Fidan.

Exports of the Kurdistan Region’s oil resumed in late September after an over two-year halt, which came about after Ankara lost a case against Iraq in March 2023 in a Paris-based arbitration court.

The case accused Turkey of breaching a 1973 contract between the two neighbors by allowing the Kurdistan Region to sell oil independent of Baghdad. Turkey in return suspended the flow of all Iraqi oil through its Ceyhan pipeline until Erbil and Baghdad reached an understanding in late September, leading to the resumption of exports.

Turkey’s Official Gazette in July published a decree by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealing that Turkey will not renew the 1973 agreement once it expires in July 2026.

“Turkey-Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement dated 27/8/1973, approved by the Council of Ministers Decision dated 22/4/1975…It has been decided, under Article 3 of Presidential Decree No. 9, to terminate, as of 27/7/2026,” according to the decree.