Iraq's Minister of Water Resources voiced opposition to Turkey's Ilisu dam on the Tigris river today, saying it undercuts Iraq's share of the river water. The statement came from Minister of Water Resources Abdullatif Rashid during a meeting of Arab water ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. Rashid said the dam, which is still under construction, would reduce the flow of water into the country, and have a negative impact on Iraqis living along the river. He has said earlier that the dam would also affect the quality of the water. The Ilisu dam, being built on the Tigris river in southeast Turkey near the Iraqi border, would create a 300 square kilometre reservoir which Turkey says would be a significant source of hydroelectric power. The dam building project is being implemented by an international consortium of construction firms, including the German firm Zublin.
