Final answer:
Turkey's building of dams on the Euphrates has led to an unequal distribution of water, severely affecting Iraq by reducing the downstream water flow necessary for agriculture and daily use.
Step-by-step explanation:
Turkey's construction of dams on the Euphrates River has had significant consequences for its neighboring countries, especially Iraq. The creation of large dams, such as the Atatürk Dam, has led to a decrease in water flow to downstream countries. As water is essential for both agricultural and domestic use, the diversion of water towards Turkish agriculture and hydroelectric power generation has had a marked impact on the availability of water in Syria and Iraq. This has especially led to an unequal distribution of water, pressuring the relationships between these countries by exacerbating water scarcity issues in regions downstream.
The Euphrates River is a critical natural resource, originating in Turkey and flowing through Syria and Iraq before converging with the Tigris and forming the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which then empties into the Persian Gulf. The reduction in water flow due to Turkish dams has not increased Iraq's oil exports, affected shipping routes from the Persian Gulf, or decreased the amount of travel on the waterways; instead, it has led to a scarcity of water, impacting agriculture and the livelihood of local populations in Iraq.