Tehran's statements linking the construction of dams in Turkey with the occurrence of sand and dust storms in the region are scientifically baseless, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said on Thursday
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2022) Tehran's statements linking the construction of dams in Turkey with the occurrence of sand and dust storms in the region are scientifically baseless, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, speaking before the parliament, criticized the construction of water reservoirs in Turkey, calling them one of the reasons for Iran's environmental problems.
According to Bilgic, sandstorms negatively affect both Turkey and Iran, whereas the main areas of occurrence of these natural phenomena are Africa and the middle East.
"Claims that dams in Turkey caused sand and dust storms in our region are far from being scientific... Land destruction, deforestation, desertification, and drought triggered by climate change also increase these storms," Bilgic said, as quoted by Anadolu news agency.
Ankara sees the issue of water use and regulation from a purely "humanitarian perspective," according to the spokesman.
Bilgic added that transboundary waters are a matter of partnership rather than conflict and Turkey is open to any rational and scientific cooperation.
