Key Geographic Issue in Turkey Water Rights
{"Image DocumentName": "Key Geographic Issue in Turkey Water Rights", "Image ImageDescription": "With growing populations, the control of the Middle East\u2019s fresh water supplies will be a crucial issue in the near future. Turkey controls the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and these rivers are the main sources of fresh water for Syria and Iraq. Moreover, demand for water in central and south-eastern Turkey has risen sharply in recent years. Turkey is in the midst of building a series of dams and reservoirs on the Euphrates River in the south-eastern region of the country. This is designed to expand available agricultural land through irrigation. This project includes the Ataturk Dam, one of the largest dams in the world. Turkey\u2019s water control program will lead to serious tensions in the future between Turkey, Syria and Iraq. In fact, a war nearly broke out in 1975 between Turkey and Syria over this issue and that was before Turkey\u2019s later projects. Watch for tensions to rise during particularly dry years, when the water reaching Syria and Iraq is reduced.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}