BAGHDAD, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi parliament's First Deputy Speaker Hakim al-Zamili threatened Thursday to impose a trade ban on Iran and Turkey if they continue to "limit the flow of rivers from their lands."

"There is a real danger to the lives of citizens as a result of water scarcity, especially in central and southern Iraq," al-Zamili said at a press conference in Baghdad, which was attended by Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rashid al-Hamdani.

While accusing both Turkey and Iran of "cutting Iraq's share of water resources," Al-Hamdani said the two neighboring countries "did not adhere to international agreements on Iraq's water quota" and called on the two countries to resume negotiations, as Iraq suffers from significant water scarcity.

"We may be forced in the parliament to enact a law criminalizing economic and commercial dealings with both Iran and Turkey," said al-Hamdani, stressing that Iraq will hold negotiations with the two countries because "the situation is dangerous."

The annual trade exchange volume with Turkey amounts to 20 billion U.S. dollars, and with Iran 16 billion dollars.

Iraq suffers from a drought crisis and water scarcity due to climate change and lack of rain, in addition to the allegedly cutting of rivers by its neighboring countries, which led to desertification and an increase in the number of dust storms that forced many farmers to abandon their agricultural lands. Enditem

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