Turkey has launched an effort to help resolve the water problem of neighboring Iraq amid bilateral tensions over decreasing flow rates in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, whose waters the two countries share.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed a special envoy to Iraq. Veysel Eroglu is a former forestry and water affairs minister who has been in Erdogan’s close entourage since the 1990s, when the president was mayor of Istanbul. Much in the style of a “water czar,” Eroglu has formed a special team of experts from various ministries and began work on an action plan for better water management in Iraq. Though Baghdad’s initial reaction has been positive, Turkey’s prospective road map might fail to satisfy Iraqi expectations, given the two sides’ diverging views on the causes of water shortages and how the problem should be resolved.

Last year, amid the worsening impact of drought in Iraq, Turkey began filling its newly built Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River, fueling concern over water shortages in its neighbor. Although the two governments had reached an agreement on the issue beforehand, Turkey had to delay the filling operation twice.

Increased water usage and decreasing rainfall have exacerbated shortages in regions that rely on the Tigris and the Euphrates for water. About 80% to 88% of the waters of the Euphrates have their sources in Turkey, where the river begins and then flows southeast across Syria and through Iraq. The Tigris, which originates in Turkey as well, flows down to form the border between Iraq and Syria for several miles and, after passing through Mosul and Baghdad, joins the Euphrates at al-Qurnah to form the Shatt al-Arab. Turkey contributes only 40% to the water flow of the Tigris, while Iraq contributes 51% and Iran 9%. Under a 1987 protocol on the Euphrates with Syria, Turkey is required to allow at least 500 cubic meters (17,500 cubic feet) per second of water into Syria. When it comes to the Tigris, however, Turkey has made no commitment to Iraq.