Water pipeline ‘vital’ for Turkish Cypriots

NICOSIA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkish officials arrive in Northern Cyprus for the ground-breaking ceremony at the Geçitköy damn where water from Turkey will be carried to the island. AA photo

The water pipeline project from Turkey to Northern Cyprus is crucially important for the future of Turkish Cypriots, Turkish Cypriot President Derviş Eroğlu said yesterday.

“The water to be carried to Cyprus from Turkey is crucial for the future of Turkish Cypriots,” Eroğlu said at an official meeting with the Turkish Forestry and Water Works Minister Veysel Eroğlu, who came to Northern Cyprus for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Geçitköy Dam. The dam is the place where water carried from Turkey to the island will be held.

“I made a promise that the water project would be completed on March 7, 2014,” Eroğlu said while responding to reporters’ questions. “It is a project of the century.”

“If an agreement is reached and [Greek Cyprus] wants water, we may consider providing it to them,” he added, responding to a question on what would happen if Greek Cyprus also experienced problems concerning water.

The president also said Northern Cyprus was currently working on an electricity transfer project from Turkey to the island.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Forestry and Water Works Minister Veysel Eroğlu said: “This is a project that connects the heart of the motherland to Northern Cyprus.” He explained that the total cost of the water pipeline project would be nearly 1.1 billion Turkish Liras, would transfer 75 million cubic meters of water per year, and would be nearly 80 kilometers long.