PIPELINE PROJECT TO SUPPLY TRNC WITH 75 MILLION CUBIC METERS OF WATER ANNUALLY [/u]
The Project to transport water from Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus via a pipeline is coming to life. The Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu announced that the foundation of the Alaköprü Dam which will be the first leg of the project will be laid by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the 3rd of November.
The pipeline, expected to be completed by November 2014, will supply 75 million cubic meters of water from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus annually.
The Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry made the announcement following his meeting with the TRNC Minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture Kemal Dürüst in Ankara.
Explaining that the construction of the Alaköprü Dam was the most important and longest leg of the water project, Veysel Eroğlu said the construction of the dam will be completed in 4 years.
He said that work for the construction of the Geçitköy Dam in the TRNC, scheduled to be completed in 3 years, would commence once the Alaköprü Dam was completed.
The framework agreement for the project envisaging transport of water from Turkey to the TRNC via a pipeline was signed between TRNC Prime Minster İrsen Kucuk and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of State in Charge of Cyprus Affairs Cemil Cicek on the 19th of July 2010.