GAZIANTEP - Turkish Public Works and Settlement Minister Zeki Ergezen said on Tuesday that Turkey and Syria would construct a dam on the Asi River under a joint project.
In an interview with the A.A, Ergezen said, ''The dam will be used for irrigation besides power generation.''
''The Asi River in the border region between Turkey and Syria overflows every year inundating thousands of hectares of cultivated fields and villages. Together with a fifty-member delegation of contractors and bureaucrats, we paid a three-day visit to Syria a few days ago. We held talks with Syrian officials. Meanwhile, our contractors had the chance of meeting their Syrian colleagues about construction of highway and a dam. During the talks, they decided to construct a dam on the Asi River for irrigation besides power generation. With this objective, Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri gave necessary directives to his minister of public works,'' he said.
Ergezen said, ''we are also planning to assist both Syria and Lebanon in construction of highways. As you know, some preliminary protocols were signed during Prime Minister Utri's visit to Turkey. Now, we will try to do our utmost to put these projects in practice.''
(UK-MS) 24.08.2004