Turkey moves ahead with Tuzluca and Gerek irrigation dams
The Tuzluca Storage Dam in Iğdır, visited by MP Cantürk Alagöz and Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, will capture water from the Aras River and deliver it to the plain via a closed‑pipe system. Each field will receive a valve allowing farmers to choose sprinkler or drip irrigation, a step aimed at doubling the province’s agricultural and livestock output.
In Horasan, Erzurum, work on the Gerek Dam continues with body‑fill operations slated for completion in autumn 2027 and water storage to begin thereafter. About 77,000 m³ of fill (24% of the total) has been placed, with a target of 70% by year‑end. The dam is expected to supply irrigation water to 405 ha of farmland from 2028, enabling cultivation of sugar beet, sunflower and fodder crops and reducing production costs for local farmers. Both projects are presented as strategic investments under Turkey’s “Turkey Century” vision to strengthen agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
Entities: Aydın Baruş · Cantürk Alagöz · Erzurum Province · Gerek Barajı · Gerek Dam · Horasan district · Ibrahim Yumaklı · Oğuzhan Yavuz · Tuzluca Storage Dam
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Tuzluca Storage Dam will capture water from the Aras River for irrigation in Iğdır.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Vali Aydın Baruş said irrigation from Gerek Dam will enable cultivation of sugar beet, sunflower and fodder crops, diversifying production.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Tuzluca project will allow each field to have a valve system for sprinkler or drip irrigation.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Gerek Dam body‑fill will be completed in autumn 2027, after which water storage will start.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 77,000 cubic metres of fill (24% of total) have been placed at Gerek Dam, with a target of 70% by year‑end.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Gerek Dam will provide irrigation water for 405 hectares of farmland starting in 2028.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] MP Cantürk Alagöz and Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumaklı visited the Tuzluca site to discuss irrigation needs.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Both dam projects are presented as part of Turkey’s ‘Turkey Century’ vision to boost agricultural productivity.