Baghdad, Nov. 2, 2025 — dinaropinions.com has obtained and published the complete implementation mechanism for the Iraq–Turkey Water Cooperation Framework, detailing a new roadmap for joint water management and sustainable development projects between the two nations.
According to the dinaropinions.com, the document builds on years of negotiations and represents a breakthrough in regional water diplomacy. It provides a structured, long-term mechanism to address water scarcity, climate challenges, and environmental governance.
💧 Background and Context
The mechanism follows multiple failed attempts to fully activate earlier agreements — including the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding on Water Resources, which came into force in 2021 but faced logistical and political challenges.
The new framework was formalized after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad on April 22, 2024, a milestone event that set the stage for renewed cooperation on water and energy management.
🧭 Key Goals of the New Mechanism
The Iraq–Turkey Water Cooperation Framework focuses on jointly managed, outcome-driven projects aimed at improving water efficiency and sustainability.
The priority initiatives include:
- Improving water quality and reducing pollution in shared rivers.
- Developing modern irrigation systems to boost agricultural productivity.
- Rehabilitating degraded agricultural lands affected by drought and salinity.
- Enhancing water governance through better data sharing and rational resource use.
⚙️ Implementation and Funding Model
The document lays out a clear operational structure for executing water-related projects across Iraq:
- Joint Advisory Team:
- Experts from both countries will form an advisory team to identify, evaluate, and prioritize project proposals.
- Project Execution:
- Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Municipalities, and local governorates will announce tenders.
- Qualified Turkish companies can bid, while Iraqi firms may join as local partners.
- Funding Mechanism:
- Financing will be arranged through the Iraqi Ministry of Finance, using revenues from crude oil sales to Turkish companies.
- The Iraqi Council of Ministers has approved this funding approach.
- If the oil is resold in European markets, Iraq will receive 65% of the profit margin above global benchmark prices.
This oil-revenue linkage introduces a new economic dimension to the partnership, aligning trade, energy, and environmental cooperation under one framework.
🌿 Long-Term Vision
The cooperation mechanism will remain valid throughout the entire duration of the Iraq–Turkey Water Framework Agreement.
It is designed as a comprehensive and renewable model for bilateral collaboration — combining:
- Shared water resource management,
- Economic and industrial cooperation, and
- Sustainable environmental development.
Officials from both nations described the agreement as a cornerstone for regional stability and sustainable resource use, offering a blueprint for future partnerships across the Middle East.
📍 Summary of Key Points
- Signed: November 2, 2025
- Origin: Follow-up to Erdoğan’s 2024 Baghdad visit
- Scope: Water, agriculture, and environmental sustainability
- Funding: Through oil sales and profit-sharing mechanism
- Execution: Iraqi tenders with Turkish technical participation
- Oversight: Joint Iraq–Turkey advisory body
- Goal: Integrated, transparent water governance for long-term stability
