The Endless Games of those who covet our waters in International Environments

With the GAP project, Turkey aims to increase the welfare level and quality of life of our people living in this region, to eliminate interregional differences and to ensure economic development and social stability at national level by utilising the resources of the Southeastern Anatolia region. From the beginning of the researches in the Euphrates River with the order of Atatürk until 1989, Turkey has evaluated the project in the conventional sense with the understanding of developing our resources such as energy, water, irrigation, agriculture, etc.

Since 1989, the GAP project has been accelerated at full capacity in order to contribute to national development such as eliminating the development gap between the Southeastern Anatolia Region and other regions, social stability, economic growth and regional development through agriculture, industry, transport, education, health, environment, recreation, tourism, energy, rural and urban infrastructure investments. When we completed 50 per cent of the GAP during the Demirel and Özal periods, America and Western Europe threatened us in this way, such as stop these dams, our economy will not be enough, we will cut IMF loans, you will become poor, civil unrest will occur. Let us remember that the PKK terrorist organisation sabotaged our dams in those years. But for whatever reason, the USA later on seemed to give up this policy of threatening us. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the thought that a so-called Kurdish state will be established in this region in the future. Secondly, it was aimed at preparing for the Greater Israel within the framework of the BOP.

The dams on the Tigris River had once whetted the appetite of the Arab racist Saddam. A strong Turkey was Saddam's fear. Syria under the Hafez al-Assad regime had taken part in dirty games, including all kinds of terrorism, against Turkey in order to have the abundant water of the Euphrates. Today, we see that these states are on the verge of disintegration.

Due to the increasing importance of water in the world, the United Nations decided to celebrate this date as "World Water Day" every year since 22 March 1993. The World Water Council has started to organise "World Water Symposium" every three years since 1997. Prof . Dr. Kemal Solak (now retired), a distinguished scientist from Ankara Gazi University, Department of Biology, Hydrobiologist Prof. Dr. Kemal Solak (now retired), who participated in the "Waters Beyond Borders" symposiums in Montenegro in 2006 and in Istanbul in 2009, personally witnessed the "western games" to be played on Turkey's waters in these symposiums and revealed and disrupted this dirty game with his presentations.

Prof. Dr. Kemal Solak explains: "I attended a symposium in Montenegro (Monte Negro) in February 2006. Scientists from various countries were making presentations about their potentials. When I was informed about this extra-programme activity, I requested to participate and took part in the programme. I presented a "Master's Thesis" study on the Tigris, Zap Water and Botan Stream. A professor, who did not disclose on which occasion he was in our research area, objected not to the essence of our research but to the field, and tried to explain to the audience on a divisive map that this area belonged to Iraq outside the borders of Turkey. I asked him for the map and he gave it to me. The map was originated by the state of Israel. I did not return the map and confiscated it. This so-called academic was Israeli. Years ago, Prof. Dr Milades S. Karaman, who emigrated from Karaman to Macedonia and from there to Belgrade, reminded me of his advice to me. "OWN YOUR COUNTRY" she had said. At that moment, this research in Botan Stream and the presentation based on it had become a document "in the nature of a deed" in our hands. As a matter of fact, the host of the Symposium, Prof. Dr. Pesic published this presentation in a special edition. We have 140 thousand kilometres of river network. As Prof. Karaman said, if we are divided, we will be like Yugoslavia. When they have the opportunity, they will not even give us a glass of water to drink from this water network. They will drown us in that water. Just like they blinded our captive soldiers in acid pools".

Prof. Dr. Kemal Solak continues to explain: "In 2009, the 5th World Water Days Panel was held in Istanbul. I would like to relate the incident that caused the intervention of Mr Fazlı, a water engineer whose surname I do not remember, and myself. We are not aware that an ethical group was formed by a group among themselves. Among those who took part in this delegation by imposition, an American Jewish citizen lady named Linda ROBERTSON is attending from London. The other was the Director of the Stockholm Water Institute, a member of the Arab League and a colleague from our country whom I did not recognise. In this unorthodox imposition, which came to mind, a suspicion arose at the very beginning as to where Israel was in all this. In the panel titled"Short Course Of Dam Safety", Linda ROBERTSON made an early exit again and said that Turkey did not provide 500 l/sec of water to Iraq as promised. It was a cold shower attack. It was a manipulation beyond the question. After a short period of shocked silence, the "WATER CROSSING THE BORDER" started to be discussed, and the discussion suddenly took on a tense atmosphere. This included us, because we had recovered from the capitulation, recovered and finally realised our obligation to fulfil our part. I say we because there were only two of us. The discussion grew, the tone was different, accusatory and harsh. Mr Fazlı from the GAP Water Administration intervened immediately. He stated that 625 l/sec of water had been supplied, that he had controlled the water and that there was an unfair accusation against Turkey. The discussion gradually took the nature of accusing and blaming Turkey. Participants from outside were Iran 5, Iraq 10, Syria 5 and unfortunately, with a very small number of participants from our country, this number was reduced to 5 on the last day. They were also in an attitude of avoiding tension. The so-called"Euphrates-Tigris Initiative For Cooperation", which was called "Euphrates-Tigris Initiative For Cooperation", beyond carrying an insidious nature that seemed reasonable and innocent, was clearly aimed at intervening in our waters. I saw this clearly and implicitly, Israel was being represented by Linda ROBERTSON. ROBERTSON, who made the accusation, preferred to stay behind. The real development came later and it became clear that this was a mise-en-scene...

As a matter of fact, a Turkish lady later told it on television. This Turkish lady, who knew Linda closely, stated that Linda's husband had been on duty for 10 years in Harran, Urfa and the Southeastern region within the framework of GAP, that he had documents in his possession, and that this woman, Linda, his wife, who had no qualifications and acquisitions, was manipulated by staying behind because she knew him. This provocative attack was eliminated with a counter attack. This incident, which came to light with the death of a British agent a few weeks ago, was the intention to disrupt us from within by making arrangements entirely within Syria, stirring up the atmosphere and increasing the influx of refugees to Turkey. This spy had tweeted that he would leave Turkey with his failed confession. The games are big. It is imperative that the cadres who will protect Turkey's national interests and interests in every field should be at work. Let me end with one last striking example. An example of the misuse of science. A fish species living in Zap water. Zap water is the water of our country. Those who called the region so-called Kurdistan named this fish "Kurdistan Fish". In 1931, the Russian researcher Berg named this fish as Glyptothorax Armeniacus, Armenia Fish. Unfortunately, we are obliged to urgently nationalise and protect the interests of our country against these conjunctural games in every field and branch of science". Prof. Dr. Kemal Solak's own words, we have written here the games that want to be played on our waters. I would like to thank him very much and convey my respects.

In the past years, an agreement was signed for the sale of our water to Israel with the "Manavgat Peace Water Project" . It was foreseen that 50 million cubic metres of water per year from Manavgat stream would be transported to Israel by tankers by sea. In 1986, during Turgut Özal's time, the transfer of Seyhan-Ceyhan rivers' water to the Middle East through a giant pipeline was on the agenda. With the Water Supply Project to the TRNC, Turkey has started to provide the water needed by our Cypriot compatriots through the suspended pipe system under the sea since 2015.

We now see that water has become a "strategic weapon" in the world. Israel, Iraq, Syria and the EU consider our Tigris and Euphrates rivers as international waters. We are especially aware of Israel's interest in GAP and our Southeast region. Turkey should protect its waters very well.

Let's not lose our water at home while trying to make money from water.