Egypt: Shifting from Israelization to Turkishization

 

BY ZERIHUN ABEBE YIGZAW

Two rivers which are dotted in the book of Genesis entice everyone's attention with their peculiar nature of mystery and paradox. They are also bound in similarities, yet entertain differences. The River Nile that receives the great share of its waters from Ethiopia, flows from South to North bonding eleven countries and finally joins the Mediterranean Sea. The twin rivers-Euphrates and Tigris originating from the Anatolian Highlands run North to South through Turkey, Syria and Iraq and finally forming the Shatt Al-Arab and concludes its journey in the Persian/Arabian Gulf. These two river basins had been the cradle of human civilization hosting the Ethiopian/Egyptian and Mesopotamian/Sumerian or Assyrian Civilizations respectively, as literature show.

Among the major trans-boundary watercourses in the world such as the Colorado, the Euphrates-Tigris, the Mekong, etc., the Nile is too paradoxical. In the case of the rivers above, upstream states such as USA, China and Turkey, respectively, are the most powerful ones. Conversely, downstream nation, Egypt, was portrayed hegemonic on a water course which originates outside its boundary. As far as trans-boundary water bodies are concerned, power steams from geographic, economic, political, and military, grounds —to mention but few.

In his recent Televised statement, Egypt's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Mohamed Abd el-Motaleb, was quoted as “arrogantly” saying: “Ethiopia is not Turkey and Egypt is not Syria and Iraq.” The message seems implying as Egypt is more “powerful” than the upstream Ethiopia and can “do” anything regardless of upstream states interests for water. Again Motaleb with his negatively charged words tries to say that his country can bring whatever is kept distant with in its reach.

Had the Egyptian minister and the likes of him been honest, polite and respectful, Ethiopia's stand which is non harming downstream nations would have received appreciation and gratitude from the Egyptian government.

Nature makes these two countries, Ethiopia and Turkey, the water towers of their respective region; While rivers from the highlands of Turkey quench the thirst of multitudes for water in Syria and Iraq, the Nile has turned the desert in Sudan and Egypt into something green.

Nature is not the only similarity, in fact, most of their history, and civilization is also alike. For instance, both Turkey and Ethiopia do share same culture and religion, the Hrran of Turkey and Harar of Ethiopia cherish many similarities. Be that as it may, both Ethiopia and Turkey were the world's most ancient civilizations and empires, the civilizations of Axum and Byzantine (Constantinople) could be cases in point in this regard. These two civilizations were in their peaks and had managed to control many territories beyond their homes and across the seas. The writer has mentioned the historical narrative not to give the impression of weak analogy but to give a historical background.

Most importantly, Ethiopia and Turkey do share a history of the downturn of their civilizations. Nonetheless, they are also countries which we can compliment them as a rising stars. Today's Turkey is not what we did know yesterday. It is changing and is one of the emerging powers. In the same vein, today's Ethiopia is not the Ethiopia that we knew yesterday. A lot have been achieved in terms of domestic and foreign investment, mega infrastructure provision, and in bolstering the economy in Ethiopia, for instance, and the best is yet to come.

What can be understood from Egyptian Minister's remark is how the political elite in Egypt is still in the 19^th century mode of leadership, with an imperialist and war mongering habit. But, whatever he is saying, power is not uni-dimensional. Different countries have different power. In fact, Motaleb did clearly know what power Ethiopia has which his country will never have. However, What this writer needs to bring to the attention of Motaleb and his folks is that the solution for the Nile issue is not an arrogantly stated and war mongering remarks. The solution is peace and dialogue. To use the terms of the late Meles Zenawi, “for Egypt to stop Ethiopia from utilizing its Nile waters, it must control the whole country and no one has done that in the past and the Egyptians are not different and they know that very well.”

As far as development doctrines of international water law is concerned, there are theories which are commonly propagated by upstream and downstream states. For instance, countries such as Egypt, Iraq, and Syria are proponents of Absolute Territorial Integrity which declares the untouched flow of water from upstream states to downstream states. In line with this, the doctrine stresses that downstream states have the right to monitor and even veto on upstream water projects. In other words, the doctrine of Absolute Territorial Integrity leaves upstream states at the mercy of downstream states for the water which originates in their own territory.

The other doctrine is Absolute Territorial Sovereignty which is propagated by upstream states in most trans-boundary watercourses such as China and Turkey. According to this doctrine riparian states have the right to do whatever they want on any water resource in their own territorial jurisdiction. Maintaining water flows to downstream states is regarded as charity and kindness only. The most important idea is maintaining territorial sovereignty of the state. In this case, the remark of Suleyman Demires regarding Euphrates-Tigris Rivers is worth mentioning: “we [Turkey] do not say we share their [Iraqi or Syria] oil resources. They cannot say they share our [Turkey's] water resources. This is a matter of sovereignty. We have a right to do anything we like.”

However, what Ethiopia have been known for is opening window of opportunity for discussion on its own waters claiming that the riparian states of the Nile that drinks same water to share the benefits and fruits of the river and maintain its [the river's] health. Ethiopia's call is a call of good neighbourliness and brotherhood not of enmity despite it carries the scars of the Nile politics in its shoulders—in spite of the fact that Egypt has been always behind all wars, Ethiopia fought in the Horn of Africa.

The Egyptian elites for long have been a captive of their own constructed conspiracy on the Nile. Whatever endeavours Ethiopia make on its water resources, particularly the Nile, the Egyptian elite always understand there is a kind of involvement by a third party/parties, mainly Israel. Such baseless fear has to do with the historical experiences of Egypt during the colonial era where Britain was threatening the former, particularly during the Suez Crisis. The Arab-Israel wars fought with the active involvement of Egypt, another source of fear. But why linking it with Ethiopia? The answer is obvious, a baseless fear. It is only because the Egyptian political elites know what they have been waging against Ethiopia, they are captives of their lies and offences. They are victims of their own constructed fear and mistrust to this extent. That is the real problem. Israel like any other advanced country has its own interest and it supports countries in Africa as USA or European countries have been doing so.

When Ethiopia starts the GERD project, the Egyptian elite stood together with a misinformed media and shout loud considering as the Israeli and American support the dam's construction. But such baseless accusation is, however, used to mobilize the Arab world against Ethiopia. It should also be recalled that the sacked Deputy Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia Khalid Bin Sultan`s remark on the GERD is an extension of such Egypt's relentless accusation. Now, the Egyptians are moved from Israelization to Turkishization of the GERD again taking Turkey as a financier of the GERD. This is another white lie and manifestation of the frustration of the Egyptian political elite. This blind accusation might have to do with Teyyip Erdogan-Turkey`s president criticism of the military coup against Mohamed Morsi and the deterioration of the relations between the two governments since then.

One thing which should be clear is, Ethiopia is pressing ahead with the construction of the dam by its own finance for the Egyptian lobbied on international financiers. We cherish the psychological power of the GERD that it brings to the Ethiopian people.

In general, for the Egyptian elite whatever good happens in Ethiopia is a monster in Egypt. Yet, that is baseless and unnecessary. Their accusation of USA through Israel to Turkey is nothing other than jealousy of Ethiopia's progress and change. Regarding the Nile, Ethiopia's call is a call for peace and development, and a call for brotherhood and togetherness. And the GERD is a symbol of African renaissance and brotherhood which can also leads to cooperation and integration of the Nile littorals and beyond.

Zerihun Abebe Yigzaw is a lecturer at Dilla University and researcher on the Hydro-politics of trans-boundary watercourses especially the Nile. He can be reached at zerihun.yigzaw@graduateinstitute.ch.