Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called attention to the increasing role of water disputes in sparking conflicts around the world.
"Many conflicts in Asia, America, northern Africa, and the Middle East stem from disputes over water sources," Erdogan said on Friday in a speech at a meeting on agriculture organised by Turkish state-run lender Ziraat Bank in Istanbul.
"Due to the adverse effects of climate change, water sources and reservoirs are becoming areas of conflict," he added.
Preventing famine
Erdogan also touched on the Black Sea grain deal that Türkiye and the UN brokered between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.
"If it weren't for the Black Sea grain deal, led by Türkiye, many areas would have suffered from famine, particularly African countries," he said.
The president emphasised that Türkiye "prevented the situation from getting worse by ensuring passage of 33 million tons of grain through our straits" amid the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine.
