Iraqi PM Accuses Turkey of Exploiting Ilisu Dam for Political Purposes

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. (Reuters)
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Iraqi PM Accuses Turkey of Exploiting Ilisu Dam for Political Purposes

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi accused on Tuesday the Turkish government of exploiting the Ilisu dam for political purposes, slamming the timing it chose to fill up the dam.

He explained that Ankara deliberately chose the timing to exploit the issue for “political and electoral purposes.”

Turkey is set to hold snap elections on June 24.

An agreement had been reached between Iraq and Turkey for Ankara to start filling the dam on June 1, but it kicked off operation back on March 1, drawing Baghdad’s anger.

Iraq is currently suffering from a stifling drought and the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River has only compounded the problem.

Addressing criticism that successive Iraqi governments had failed since 2003 to construct dams in the country, Abadi remarked: “We do not need to build dams, because the ones we already have have not been filled to capacity.”

“Once we have a surplus, then we will build new dams.”

Iraq’s water resources minister Hassan al-Janabi informed Asharq Al-Awsat, however, that the “crisis, despite its severity, was still under control because the minimum amount of potable and irrigation water was being provided.”

Concerns have been voiced over next year’s crops.

Abadi stressed that contacts are ongoing with Turkey and Iran over the water shortage and the Tigris issue.

He assured the people that Iraq has sufficient water reserves.

Meanwhile, head of the Sadr movement, Moqtada al-Sadr, made a number of proposals aimed at resolving the water crisis.

Among them was a call for the Foreign Ministry or concerned ministries to convene a meeting for the Iraq basin countries to address the crisis.

Another, he said via his Twitter account, was having the concerned Iraqi ministries form a permanent committee that would be tasked with finding the causes and reaching solutions for water safety problems.



Jordan Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, Confiscates Assets, Offices

The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
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Jordan Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, Confiscates Assets, Offices

The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)
The official spokesman for the Jordanian government during the announcement of the details of the arrest of terrorist cells last week (Petra)

Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and confiscated its assets on Wednesday after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said.

Jordan said last week it had arrested 16 Muslim Brotherhood members, saying they were plotting attacks involving rockets and drones on targets inside the kingdom. Jordan also attributed a foiled plot in 2024 to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan.

According to Reuters, Fraya said all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law.

The ban includes publishing anything by the group and closure and confiscation of all its offices and property, he added.

Fraya said Muslim Brotherhood members had planned attacks on security targets and sensitive locations in the kingdom, aiming to destabilize the country, but did not disclose what these targets were.

Security forces said last week they had found a rocket manufacturing facility alongside a drone factory where short-range rockets were being developed, with at least one missile ready to be launched.