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ANKARA, Aug. 6-- Turkey and Iraq have agreed to establish a water resources center in the Iraqi capital of Bagdad to study and address water issues in the region, a move aiming to overcome the longstanding dispute between the two neighboring countries. Veysel Eroglu, Turkish special representative to Iraq, announced on July 25 that both countries have drafted an action plan to address water issues amid scorching heat waves in the world affected by climate change. Meanwhile, the more cautious Iraqi Water Resources Minister Jamal Adili said both parties favor a solution as water talks present a great opportunity to benefit both Turks and Iraqis. It is worth noting that the continuing heat waves and droughts, which have created water shortages in the Middle East, have made the water issue between Iraq and Turkey more critical than ever. According to satellites that monitor climate, the Tigris-Euphrates Basin, which is a transboundary basin distributed between Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, is losing water faster than any other area in the world. In the past months, Turkey launched an effort to help resolve the water problem of neighboring Iraq amid bilateral tensions over decreasing flow rates in the Tigris and Euphrates river system whose water is shared by the two countries. Despite recent positive response from Iraq, Turkey's roadmap will not be easily implemented given their different claims and opinions on the complex matter. | 
