Water disputes causing conflicts around the world, Turkish President Erdogan warns

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called attention to the role of "disputes over water sources" in sparking conflicts around the world.

"Many conflicts in Asia, America, northern Africa, and the Middle East stem from disputes over water sources," Erdogan said in a speech at a meeting on agriculture organized by Turkish state-run lender Ziraat Bank in Istanbul.

The president also touched on the adverse effects of climate change and their consequences for water-linked conflicts.

"Due to the adverse effects of climate change, water sources and reservoirs are becoming areas of conflict," he added.

On the Black Sea grain deal that Türkiye and the UN-brokered between Russia and Ukraine in 2022,

"If it weren't for the Black Sea grain deal, led by Türkiye, many areas would have suffered from famine, particularly African countries," he said.

The president emphasized that Türkiye "prevented the situation from getting worse by ensuring passage of 33 million tons of grain through our straits" amid the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine.