Turkey to Construct 18 Dam Projects

Turkey is to build 18 dams on its borders along with Iraq, Syria, Iran, Georgia, Bulgaria and Greece.

The country completed a plan with Syria to construct a dam on the Orontes River, known as Asi in Turkish, which flows from Syria to Turkey.

The dam project, which is expected to prevent flooding, will benefit farmers on both sides of the border and irrigate 13,334 hectares of land, according to worldbulletin.net.

Turkey also plans to complete the Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River after starting construction of the dam in 2006.

The dam project will help to meet water shortages in the summer months, as well as generate electricity.

Turkey also plans to construct 14 dams on its frontier with Iraq and most of these dams will be built on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

Construction of 11 dams started in 2011 and Turkey expects to complete them by 2012, providing water and electricity to Turkey and Iraq.

Turkey will also build a dam with Bulgaria on the Tunca River while the Suakacagi Dam, to be located along the Turkish-Greek border, will save around 15,000 acres of agricultural land from flash floods and provide water to the western parts of Turkey and Greece.

The remaining dams will be constructed along the Turkish border with Iran and Georgia. The dam with Georgia will be constructed on the Kura River.