Turkey's Water Policy

Water is a strategic natural resource and of vital importance for Turkey s overall social and economic development. At the same time, environmental concerns and negative impacts of dam construction challenge the present national water regime with its emphasis on water resources development and management for productive uses only. In addition, EU membership requires from Turkey the adaptation of the European Acquis Communautaire which includes an extensive and ambitious body of EU water law. Turkey eventually will change its water policy, and its respective water institutions. Since Turkish policy towards transboundary water resources has been subject to international criticism (see Euphrates-Tigris, and the Ilisu Dam debate), the volume too documents and assesses the stage of cooperation on all transboundary water resources, Turkey s respective policy towards shared water resources including its position towards international water law, and her attempt to establish regional water markets.§The present book is unique undertaking in analyzing the current state of Turkey s water policy and management of national and transboundary waters. The authors are Turkish and international, practitioners and academics, who have been publishing for long on many aspects of transboundary water issues.