Joint Irrigation Project With Syria

With a "joint communiqué" signed on August 23, by Syria and Turkey, Syrian Ministry of Irrigation and Turkey's Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP) administration will lead joint projects and programs. GAP is a huge irrigation project covering southeast Anatolia.

Under the main titles of education, joint projects and change programs, the Syrian Ministry of Irrigation and the GAP administration aim organize seminars on regional development, agriculture and irrigation, conduct visits to farmers, producers and experts, and coordinate meetings.

M. Radwan Martini, the Syrian Irrigation Minister came to the southeastern Anatolian province of Sanliurfa last Thursday.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kocabatmaz, minister responsible for the GAP project, invited Martini.

Radwan Martini was joined by Adnan Mirza, deputy minister of irrigation, Abdul Razzak Awak, the general manager of the administration of Tigris and Euphrates river-basins, Abdul Aziz al-Masri, the director of the international water department, and Razi Asfari, the director of water resources of the general organization of the Euphrates Dam.

The wastewaters of Akcakale will be purified

The group also attended the opening of the Akcakale Water Purification Facilities. The facilities are financed by the GAP administration and are expected to be in use till the year 2027.

Mustafa Aydogdu, the head of the GAP regional development administration (GAP-BKI), said that the construction of the facilities had begun in 1994 and were completed by the year 2001.

"The Akcakale municipality will run the facilities, which will enable the purification and discharge of the waste waters of Akcakale back to the Culap River."

Kocabatmaz, the minister responsible for the GAP project said, "Better projects will be accomplished owing to the friendship between the two countries."

Halfeti, Birecik and Nizip

Syrian Irrigation Minister Martini and his group visited a number of agricultural research centers, irrigation areas and the Regulator.

The Syrian group left Turkey Sunday after visiting Halfeti Karaotlak, Birecik dam and Nizip Irrigation Project.

Since 1960

The communication between the Syrian Ministry of Irrigation and GAP had begun on July 18-22, 2001, when Dr. Unver, the head of the GAP-BKI, had visited Syria for a field improvement project, GOLD.

The GAP technical committee, together with a committee of Syrian technical experts, had signed an implementation document in Syria last June, with the aim of making the joint communiqué more functional.

GOLD was established in 1960 with the name of "Euphrates Basin Institution" It continues with field improvement studies at the Euphrates basin. The institution's name was changed to "Field Improvement Institution," in 1981. (NK/EA/NM)