Turkish Environment & Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu said on Saturday that the "friendship dam" which would be built jointly by Turkey and Syria on Asi River would change the region's destiny.

Eroglu told reporters that Turkey and Syria signed 51 memorandums of understanding during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Syria last year, adding that one of those MoUs was on "friendship dam".

Eroglu said that Turkish and Syrian experts examined the location for the dam, and its foundation would be laid within 2010.

The "friendship dam", to be constructed on the part of River Asi in Turkey, will protect the agricultural fields and settlements in the two countries towards the sea from floods.

The dam will irrigate some 10,000 hectares of agricultural fields and generate almost 16 million kw/hr energy p.a.

Eroglu added that another dam --Reyhanli Dam-- would also be started to be built on March 1, 2010 to meet the irrigation need of agricultural areas in Turkish southern province of Hatay. 
 

AA