ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya on Monday hailed the recent signing of a water cooperation framework between Iraq and Turkey, calling it a "significant step toward enhancing regional cooperation and ensuring sustainable access to vital water resources."

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Sunday signed the Framework Cooperation Agreement on Water between the two countries, with the deal being hailed by the Iraqi prime minister's office as "one of the sustainable solutions to Iraq’s water crisis, through a package of major joint projects to be implemented in the water sector aimed at addressing and managing water scarcity challenges."

In a post on X, Savaya wrote that the deal entails Turkey releasing "a specified amount of water" downstream to Iraq, Baghdad focusing on increasing the efficiency of its water use, and Turkish companies being granted access to build "dams and water management projects."

The US envoy further noted that the agreement is valid for 10 years and is to be renewed annually. 

"This agreement marks a significant step toward enhancing regional cooperation and ensuring sustainable access to vital water resources, which are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of Iraqis affected by drought and water scarcity," Savaya wrote. "The US reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting Iraq and its people in their pursuit of greater stability, prosperity, and a sustainable environment."

The Green Iraq Observatory, an environmental organization, warned in early September 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.

Savaya, a Chaldean of Iraqi descent, is an entrepreneur and business mogul in Detroit who was appointed as US special envoy to Iraq by US President Donald Trump on October 19.

"Mark’s deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship, and his connections in the region, will help advance the interests of the American people," the US president wrote on Truth Social when making the announcement.