Damascus Government demands Turkey to release its share of Euphrates River

This came during a reconnaissance tour by the Minister of Water Resources of the Government of Damascus, Tammam Raad, to the province of Deir ez-Zor to learn about the water level of the Euphrates and its impact on agriculture and drinking water.

The Minister noted that the decrease in water levels was due to “the blocking of water from the Turkish side, which we call upon to release in accordance with the fair quota established for both Syria and Iraq

He added: “We call upon the international community and international organizations to intervene in this matter in order to restore the flow of the Euphrates River.”

According to the Government of Damascus-speaking agency SANA, “the situation continues to threaten water security in Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor and Hasakah.”

Since November 2020, Turkey has been blocking the water of the Euphrates River into Syrian territory, causing water to recede, a significant reduction in the water level in the river course and a significant decrease in the level of dam lakes to more than 5 meters according to the Office of the Energy and Communications Authority of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria.