Turkey is petroleum poor but rich in rainfed agriculture and surplus water. It hopes to harness the Euphrates in order to generate electrical energy and to profit from the export of irrigated crops grown with their waters. The total amount of precipitation that Turkey receives is 501 billion m^ per year, however only 186 billion m^ (37 per cent) finds its way into the rivers. Of this amount, 95 billion m-^ (51 percent) is available as a potentially usable resource but currently, 25.6 billion m^ (27 per cent) of available water is being used. The Euphrates river contributes 17 per cent of Turkey’s rivers water potential
(Turan, 1993, 24).
Turkey receives 18.5 per cent of its GNP from agriculture and the nation is, for all practical purposes, self-sufficient in food. Nevertheless, its government has undertaken a
... A l-H adithi
“ H aigh M mmm m « h ■ N om as
major regional development project - the GAP, based upon the utilization of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The GAP programme is the most ambitious development ever undertaken in Turkey and it has profound implications for south-eastern Anatolia which has long been the least developed region within Turkey. In 1985 the region's per capita gross regional product was 47 per cent of the per capita domestic product of Turkey, The population was 8.5 per cent of the national total, and the population growth has remained higher than the national average despite the fact that emigration from the region continues. The area referred to as "south-eastern Anatolia" takes up 9.5 per cent of the total area of Turkey and 70 per cent of the economically active population in the region is employed in the agricultural sector. In view of the country's poor petroleum endowment and its annual import bill of from $ US 2,000 million to over $ US 4,000 million for petrol products for its expanding economy, hydroelectric production is clearly significant (Kolars, 1991a, 4). In addition to growth in agricultural production, 7,561 megawatts of hydroelectric power generation capacity will also be created, of which 5,346 megawatts will be on the Euphrates and 2,215 megawatts on the Tigris. In total, the GAP's hydroelectric generating capacity will increase Turkey's present total generating capacity by 70 per cent (NewSpot,
28 June 1990, 7). Turkey also sees a great opportunity for electricity exports and the
Turkish government has been negotiating with four Middle Eastern countries to export electricity (Parker, 1991, 17). Not only does the government of Turkey hope to increase its energy supply but also hopes to improve the local economy significantly since the increase in agricultural production may also start a developmental "chain reaction" in other sectors of the regional economy. About 4.3 million people live in south-eastern Anatolia, so it is not over-populated, but the population could reach 10 million when economic development takes off and livelihoods will have to face the GAP regions rapidly increasing population (NewSpot, 19 July 1990, 5). When GAP is completed, it is estimated that Turkey will produce enough food to feed 80 million people; 3.3 million extra jobs will be created countrywide, urbanization will receive a boost in the region; and rural emigration will slow down considerably. Turkey claims that these new irrigation schemes will transform the country into the breadbasket of the region (South, August 1991, 14).
The Keban Dam and reservoir and the smaller projects upstream from the site were among the first developments to be completed on the Turkish Euphrates. The average annual runoff volume of the Euphrates at Keban is about 20,627 million m^ (GAP, 1990,
Vol. 4, 30). Depletion of water through evaporation, it has been estimated by Kolars, will
be about 985 million m^ per year when the 675 km^ reservoir is full. The irrigated area was about 35,000 ha. in 1990, with 58,000 ha. scheduled for about the year 2000. At that date, it is estimated that depletion of the river flow, (with return flow taken into account) will be about 1,430 million (Kolars, 1991a, 15).
Located 166 km downstream from the Keban is the second section of the development planned by the Turkish authorities: the Karakaya Dam and associated projects; and here the average annual runoff volume of the Euphrates river is about 23.7 billion m^ (GAP, 1990, Vol. 4, 30). The Karakaya reservoir, now full, was completed in 1987 and being full, the 298 km^ reservoir, may lose as much as 435 million m^ of water annually through evaporation (Kolars, 1991a, 15).
The Lower Euphrates Project, which is the core of the GAP, is based upon the Ataturk Dam, 180 km downstream from Karakaya, and its vast reservoir with a volume of 48,700 million m^, and a surface area of 817 km^. The average annual runoff volume of the Euphrates at Ataturk is about 26,781 million (GAP, 1990, Vol. 4, 30). According
to Kolars, the Ataturk reservoir when it is full, may lose as much as 1,470 million m^ annually to evaporation (Kolars, 1991a, 16). Eight different irrigation projects totalling
1,141,500 ha. are projected for completion some time after the year 2000.
Part of the water in the Ataturk Dam reservoir will go to the Sanliurfa-Harran and Mardin-Ceylanpinar plants through the Sanliurfa tunnels (under construction in 1992). The 141,500 ha. Sanliurfa-Harran irrigation area which comprises the 43,000 ha. Sanliurfa and 98,500 ha. Harran irrigation subsystems stretch from the low plains south of the city of Sanliurfa to the Syrian border. The construction of irrigation canals began in 1980 and were planned to be completed in 1992. Irrigation water required in the area is 10,410 m^/yr. per ha, so about 1,520 million m^/yr. of irrigation water will be headed (unit water requirement changes are dependent on the crop and irrigation pattern, available moisture capacity of the soil and covering rate). The overall estimate of 10.410 nP/hectare per annum, however, seems to be a very minimalistic estimate. This figure upon which the Turks based their calculations of water consumption from the river appears to be unreasonable for this hot region so close to the Syrian desert, it is reasonable to assume that in this region the amount of annual water for an agricultural hectare needs to be at least double the figures upon which the Turks based themselves. Thus it appears here that like in a number of other regions (see table D1.10) political considerations are involved in the calculation of the amounts of water in order to try and not cause concern to Syria and Iraq. According to Bagis, these have been taken into consideration in estimating the irrigation envisaged in the GAP master plan (Bagis, 1989, 52-69). The size of the Mardin- Ceylanpinar Irrigation scheme which originates from the Sanliurfa tunnels and Mardin canal, will be 334,900 ha. Studies on this project have already been completed and the first stage, comprising 230,130 ha., should be completed in 1996, while the 104,809 ha. second stage is planned to be completed in the year 2000. The irrigation water requirement in the area is 10,005 m-^/yr. per ha, which implies about 3,360 million m-^/yr. of water for the whole project (NewSpot, 1 August 1991, 4).
Figure D1.3:
Euphrates River : total w ater utilization by Turkey after the year 2000
985 Mm3/yr >L A TTLIRR - 10,885 Mm3 TTL AV 2,930 Mm3 TTL DOM 92 Mm3 TTLIND 83 Mm3 TOTAL 13,970 Mm3 EV - Evaporation
DOM - Dom estic
IRR - Irrigation
IND - Industry
Dam (sto rag e capacity billion m3 ) A verage an n u al ’ natural" flow (million rr? )
( ) Irrigation sch em ADIVAMAN -KAHTA ADIYAMAN - GOKSU BOZOVA 20.627 KEBAN DAM 30.6 23.717 435 Mm3/yr EV A KARAKAYA DAM 9.5 26.781 INDUSTRY 83 M m3 1,470 Mm3/yr EV A 680 Mm3 400 ha ATATURK DAM 48.7 720 Mm3 700 h a 430 Mm3 600 ha 1.470 Mm? 146,500 ha DOM 92 Mm3 1,520 Mm3 141.500 ha URFA HARRAN BIRECIK DAM 0.97 3,360 Mm3 33 4,900 h a MARDIN CEYLANPINAR 720 Mm3 8 9 ,0 0 0 h a 57 M m /y r EV. A NIZIP R GAZIANTEP H A N G A -G A N IZ KARKAMISH DAM 0.50 20 Mm3 1.780 KAYACIR 30,337 S Y R IA 157 Mm3/y EV. A TISHERIN DAM 0.13 DOM. ALEPPO 80.2 Mm3
The Siverek-Hilvan pumping irrigation area which covers a total area of 160,100 ha. will be fed from the Ataturk Dam reservoir and the entire project, now at the preliminary planning stage, is envisaged to be fully implemented by the year 2002; irrigation water required in the area is estimated at 8,980 m^/yr. per ha, which implies a total water requirement of about 1,520 million m^/yr.
The Bozova irrigation area will cover a total of 69,700 ha. gross, of hilly terrain between the Hilvan and Bozova districts. Irrigation will be achieved by raising water from the Ataturk reservoir and the irrigation scheme project is expected to be completed in 1995. The irrigation water requirement in the area is 8,920 m^/yr. per ha, so about 720 million m^/yr. is estimated to be the annual requirement (Bagis, 1989, 53).
The Suruk-Baziki irrigation project is designed to irrigate an area of 146,500 ha. in the Baziki plains within the scope of the project along the Euphrates to the west of the Bozova district near the Ataturk Dam. 44,900 ha. of land will be irrigated from the Ataturk Dam's reservoir, mainly by gravity irrigation and, to some extent, by pumping.
The Suruk irrigation area is to the west of the Sanliurfa-Harran irrigation area, and extends to the Syrian border across the low plains and here, the total irrigated area will be
146,500 ha. with water for irrigation being pumped from the Ataturk reservoir.
In order to give continuity to water flow, especially at times when demand for water is high, three reservoirs, the Tozluca, Aylan, and Tasbasan, are planned to be built on the main waterway with a total active storage capacity of 27 Mm^. This project will be completed in several stages by the year 2000 when irrigation water required in the area will be 10,410 m^/yr. per ha, or about 1,470 million m^/yr. (NewSpot, 1 August 1991,4).
The Adiyaman-Kahta project is a multipurpose project aimed at the development of water resources on the right bank of the Ataturk Dam's reservoir in the central and northern parts of the province of Adiyaman. The total irrigated area is planned to be 77,400 ha. with 29,600 ha. being served by the Ataturk Dam, 7,760 ha. by the Gomukan Dam, 6,100 ha. by the Camgazi Dam, 12,300 ha. by the Buyukcay Dam and 21,600 ha. by the Kocali Dam. The Adiyaman-Kahta Project will be completed in several stages by 1994 when irrigation water requirement in the area will be approximately 7,626 m^/yr. per ha, or about 680 million m^/yr. (Bagis, 1989, 55).
The Adiyaman-Goksu Project will supply water for irrigation to 71,600 ha. gross, and city water to Gaziantep. The Cataltepe Dam on the Goksu river is the key-stracture of the project and feasibility studies for this project were completed in 1997. The irrigation water required will be 7,227 nvVyr. per ha, making a gross requirement of 430 million m ? /y r . (Bagis, 1989, 55).
The Gaziantep project is designed to supply irrigation water to an 89,000 ha. area along the Syrian border. Irrigation water will mainly be supplied by pumping from the Birecik Dam but there are plans to take water from the Euphrates at Belkis and send it towards Kilis in a south-westerly direction. In 1997 the project will be completed and the irrigation water required will be 7,227 m^/yr. per ha., or 720 million m^/yr. required for the project (Bagis, 1989, 56). According to Kolars & Mitchell (1991), in addition to hydropower, 101,570 ha. are scheduled for irrigation largely from Lake Birecik and the Araban, Hancagis, and Kayacik reservoirs. The Birecik Dam and HPP are planned to be built approximately 92 km downstream from the Ataturk Dam and, with an active storage capacity of 972 million m^, will supply a significant part of the water for the Gaziantep irrigation project (although the reservoir may lose as much as 113 million m^ of water annually from evaporation). The Turkish government is currently negotiating with a European consortium to set up a 1,000 $US million to build-operate the Birecik Dam
(MEED, 25 January, 1991, 13).
The Karkamish Dam is intended for energy production and the dam will be located on the river 33 km downstream from the Birecik site and 4.5 km upstream from the Syrian border (Bagis, 1989, 56). The reservoir may lose about 57 million m^ annually through evaporation.
The total proposed irrigation area of the GAP project is 1,083,460 ha. and, according to the GAP master plan, the amount of water required for irrigation is about 10.4 billion m^/yr. (see table D1.10).
Table D1.10:
Summary of GAP irrigation water requirements from the Euphrates
Irrigation scheme Irrigation area Water required m^/yr./ha. Water required Mm-Vyr. Completion date Urfa-Haran 141,500 10,410 1,530 1992 Mardin-Ceylanpinar 334,900 10,005 3,360 2000 Siverek-Hilvan 160,100 8,920 1,520 2002 Bozova 69,700 8,920 720 1995 Suruk-Baziki 146,500 10,410 1,470 2000 Adiyaman-Kahta 77,400 7,626 680 1994 Adiyaman-Goksu 71,600 7,227 430 1997 Gaziantep Project 81,670 7,227 720 1997 Total 1,083,470 10,430 Source: Bagis, 1989, 52-70
It would appear that these figures do not include evaporation from the reservoirs, domestic usage and industrial use, meaning that the total water utilization and losses could reach up to 14 billion m-^ (see figure D1.3).
Development plans for the GAP region include the improvement of urban water supplies. Total domestic water use in the Euphrates basin after the year 2000 has been estimated by Kolars & Mitchell at approximately 92.5 million m^/yr., while 82.5 million m^/yr. will be used for industrial purposes in the GAP region (Kolars & Mitchell, 1991,
55).