Shafaq News – Baghdad / Ankara

The water memorandum of understanding between Iraq and Turkiye is close to entering into force after most administrative and logistical arrangements were completed, an Iraqi official told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

Iraq’s Prime Ministerial Adviser for Water Affairs, Torhan Al-Mufti, said the first phase of the agreement involved the signing of a framework memorandum by the Iraqi prime minister and the Turkish president, while the second phase focused on approving the financing mechanism for project implementation and setting timelines, which were endorsed by the foreign ministers of both countries.

Iraq will formally notify the Turkish side once the remaining procedures are finalized, “a step expected to directly increase water releases into the country,” he stated, noting that inflows from Turkiye have already risen but remain less visible due to the current rainy season and are likely to become more pronounced as rainfall declines.

Read more: Floods vs. deficit: Did rain solve Iraq’s water problem?

Baghdad and Ankara signed the executive document of their water-cooperation framework on November 2, 2025. The agreement grants Turkiye a five-year mandate to manage rapid water releases and related infrastructure and includes a commitment to supply Iraq with about one billion cubic meters of water to help ease severe shortages.

Read more: Oil for Water: Iraq bets on new Turkiye deal to ease drought crisis