ucture ▁( for ▁example , ▁pet role um ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ), ▁or ▁that ▁of ▁strateg ic ▁ge opol it ical ▁control ▁( for ▁example , ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁S uez ▁canal ▁or ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ). ▁In ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁with ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁existing ▁national , ▁sub n ational , ▁ide ological , ▁eth nic , ▁religious ▁and ▁pan - n ational ▁t ensions , ▁conflicts ▁and ▁associations , ▁water ▁politics ▁has ▁already ▁been ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁t ensions ▁between ▁Ira q , ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Turkey ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁when ▁Turkey ▁comm enced ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁An atol ia ▁Project ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁G AP ) ▁to ▁dam ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁Eu phr ates ▁and ▁Tig ris ▁rivers ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Sy rian / T ur key ▁border . ▁F inding ▁themselves ▁without ▁control ▁of ▁their ▁water ways , ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Ira q ▁formed ▁an ▁al liance , ▁ign oring ▁the ▁previous ▁disput es ▁which ▁had ▁divided ▁them , ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁water ▁control . ▁Ira q ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁watched ▁with ▁app reh ension ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁At at ür k ▁Dam ▁in ▁Turkey ▁and ▁a ▁project ed ▁system ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁d ams ▁on ▁the ▁Tig ris ▁and ▁Eu phr ates ▁rivers . ▁ ▁Within ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁all ▁major ▁rivers ▁cross ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁international ▁border , ▁with ▁the ▁most ▁important