Assessing Implications of Turkey’s Dam Buildings on Iran’s National Security

Turkey's construction of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has intensified the process of environmental degradation in large parts of the Middle East, especially Iraq and Syria.The full operation of the Ilisu Dam will further reduce the inflow of stagnant water from the Tigris, Euphrates and Arvand to the country and destroy the environment in the wider Middle East. Environmental damage due to the spread of dust emissions in large areas of Iran, especially in the west and southwest of the country is a serious threat to Iran's national security. This research is based on descriptive-analytical method and seeks to answer the question: What effects does the construction of the Turkish dam on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have on Iran's national security? The research findings indicate that the problems imposed on Iraq due to having a long border and common interests in different dimensions, have similar and wide-ranging effects on Iran's national security. It is necessary for Iran and Iraq to adopt the same position towards Turkey due to having large-scale barriers, attracting the attention of other interested countries, and to persuade this country to respect the water rights of the affected countries on the manner and amount of use of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Turkey has taken maximum advantage of these rivers in the absence of the collective will of the beneficiary countries.