Tishrin Dam to be suspended for a week due to Turkish reduction of water flow

The Turkish state, which has been using the Euphrates water as a weapon against the Syrians for years, cuts off the waters flowing into Iraq and Syria to a large extent.

The General Administration of Dams in North and East Syria has decided to suspend the Tishrin Dam for a week as of March 1 due to the Turkish reduction of water flow from the Euphrates River, reported ANHA on Wednesday.

The statement released by the General Administration of Dams in North and East Syria said:

“The decrease in water flow from the Euphrates River, which derives its source from Turkey, for more than a year has also affected the Euphrates and Tishrin dams located on the river. The General Administration has decided to suspend the Tishrin Dam for the 2023 agricultural season as it attaches priority to drinking water supply and irrigation of agricultural lands.

If the water level remains the same, the Tishrin Dam will be suspended intermittently, pursuant to the relevant decisions of the administration and other institutions.

On this basis, the decision to suspend the Tishrin Dam will not affect the irrigation of fields and access to drinking water. The Autonomous Administration Executive Council has today (March 1) ratified the decision.”

The invading Turkish state releases less than 200 cubic meters of water per second onto Syrian soil, in defiance of a 1987 agreement between Ankara and Damascus, which says that Syria must be provided with at least 500 cubic meters of water per second.

In the meantime, the water reservoirs behind the dams in North and East Syria remain empty as a result of the Turkish state's continuous reduction of the water flow from the Euphrates River.