IKV held a meeting entitled “Recent Developments in the Middle East from the Perspective of Transboundary Water Issues” on 3 October 2025. Moderated by IKV Vice President Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu, the meeting began with the introduction of the speakers.

Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University Prof. Ayşegül Kibaroğlu, Faculty Member at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Marmara University Dr. İbrahim Mazlum, and (Ret.) Ambassador Ömer Önhon, discussed the dimensions of the water crisis in the region and the search for solutions.

The meeting emphasised that the Middle East is historically known as a region with water scarcity, and that climate change, population growth and migration are increasing pressure on water resources. It was stated that the Euphrates-Tigris and Jordan basins are of critical importance in terms of regional cooperation.

It was noted that, along with the effects of climate change in the Middle East, increasing droughts are negatively affecting agriculture and economic development, and that water has become an issue with not only technical but also political and security dimensions. It was stated that the recent cooperation protocols signed between Türkiye and Iraq are promising, but that multilateral mechanisms remain inadequate.

The meeting also highlighted that the problem of access to water in Palestine directly affects people's lives, with agriculture declining and unemployment rising in Gaza and the West Bank. It was stated that Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam has changed the status quo in the Nile Basin. While it was noted that the increasing effects of climate change pose significant threats in terms of water management and water issues in the coming period, it was stated that countries implementing the right policies in this regard will be at an advantage. The meeting ended with a question and answer session.