Water problems and water security in the Middle East: The role of the ISIS

Water, the main source of life, is a vital material required for the maintenance of the lives of every creature. When we consider the causes of water issues throughout the history, we see that the rapid increase in world population, drought, global warming and pollution are the main reasons. However, the water issue in the Middle East is due to the political inconsistency, great need for water and lack of sufficient water resources. One of the conflictual transboundary water resources in the region is the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, which lay between Turkey, Syria and Iraq. All countries have disputes in the sharing of the rivers and claim rights purporting various legal opinions. However, it can be observed that no settlement has been achieved as a consequence. Since 2013, with the emergence of a new actor in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the water problems in the region have been intensified, especially after ISIS captured the Mosul dam in July-August 2014. This study intends to describe the historical background of the water issues between Turkey and Iraq, analyze the theses accepted by each country on the sharing of water and to examine the attitude of ISIS on the water issues since 2013. The latter, in this case, has led to the magnification of the problem for Iraq, which already dealt with water problems for many years. Another neighbour, Turkey, is also adversely affected by these conflicts in Iraq.