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| Turkish Environment & Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu said on Tuesday that Syria was willing to draw 1.2 billion cubic meters water from Tigris annually. "Why should not we give if there is water. Studies will take place however we will try to do our best to release this volume," Eroglu said speaking at a joint news conference with Syrian Irrigation Minister Nadir al-Buni in Ankara. Eroglu and al-Buni had a five hour meeting to review last-minute preparations for a number of cooperation protocols on water and irrigation as a part of a strategic cooperation deal signed earlier this year. The protocols are scheduled to be inked in a meeting on December 22-25 in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Eroglu said Turkey was eager to boost cooperation with Syria. Turkish minister said the two countries continued works on high ranking strategic cooperation council, "various meetings had earlier taken place in Aleppo and Gaziantep to this end. Following the meeting in Aleppo, barriers in the border were removed and visa procedures lifted." "Citizens of both countries are pleased over the developments. Cabinets of Turkey and Syria will have a joint meeting at the end of this month. Our cooperation is not only related to irrigation, we also have deals on extinguishing forest fire," he said. Syrian Irrigation Minister al-Buni said they prepared the memorandum of understandings that would be signed during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Syria in December. He said the memorandum of understandings were ready in principle, noting that they would be signed in Damascus. Referring to Asi Friendship Dam, to be built on the Asi River on the border between Syria and Turkey, Eroglu said the dam did not only aimed at energy. "It is a dam targeting irrigation and preventing flood. It is known that agriculture lands and some cities had to face floods because of overflow in Asi River. Technical works are underway." The Asi River originates in Syria and flows through Turkey's Hatay province before spilling into the Mediterranean Sea. |