Shafaq News / Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid, announced that he has submitted a request to start discussions with Turkey on the impact of filling the huge Ilisu Dam.

The minister stated to the semi-official newspaper "Al-Sabah", "The ministry asked the Turkish side to hold talks on the dam, to reach an agreement guarantees Iraq's water share and satisfies both parties".

The statement added that the dam will create water shortages by reducing flows in one of two rivers which the country depends on for much of its supplies. Around 70% of Iraq’s water supplies flow from neighboring countries, especially via the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which run through Turkey.

The dam first gained Turkish government approval in 1997, was a key part of Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia Project, designed to improve Anatolia's poorest and least developed region, but also was the reason for displacing about 80,000 people from 199 villages. After years of delays, Turkey began filling the dam reservoir in July, while activists are leading a campaign against the project for environmental and cultural concerns.

It is noteworthy that the dam will generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity, making it the fourth largest dam in Turkey in terms of production capacity.