The Greek Cypriot administration plans to allocate approximately 230 million euros (nearly $260 million) to water infrastructure and supplies in 2027 as worsening drought conditions strain resources, while Türkiye's decade-old underwater pipeline continues to provide drinking and irrigation water to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

According to Greek Cypriot media reports, the administration is preparing at least 65 drinking water and irrigation projects, with approximately 43% of the Agriculture Ministry's proposed budget earmarked for the water sector.

Of the total allocation, 158 million euros will be dedicated to purchasing desalinated water as authorities seek to secure supplies amid persistent shortages.

Greek Cypriot Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis said the proposed water budget represents an increase of approximately 30 million euros compared with 2026. The administration plans to undertake 15 major infrastructure projects while maintaining continuous operations at existing desalination facilities.

It currently relies on five permanent and five mobile desalination plants, with two additional mobile facilities planned to expand production capacity.

Türkiye's cross-sea water link

While Greek Cypriot authorities pursue new investments to address water shortages, Türkiye has supplied the TRNC through an underwater pipeline since 2015.

The TRNC Water Supply Project, inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 17, 2015, was designed to address longstanding water shortages and strengthen water security in the Turkish side of the island.

Known in Türkiye as the "Project of the Century," the system transports freshwater from the Alaköprü Dam in Anamur, in Türkiye's southern Mersin province, across the Mediterranean to the Geçitköy Dam in the TRNC.

The pipeline, which includes an approximately 80-kilometer (49.7-mile) offshore section, has an annual transportation capacity of 75 million cubic meters (19.8 billion gallons).

Of that capacity, approximately 37.76 million cubic meters are designated for drinking, domestic and industrial use, while 37.24 million cubic meters are allocated to agricultural irrigation.

The project aims to reduce dependence on limited local water resources while supporting agricultural production and economic development.

Islandwide water proposal

Türkiye has also expressed willingness to extend the project's benefits beyond the TRNC under appropriate political conditions.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry's 2015 annual report, the water supply system could potentially be expanded to serve the entire island if the Greek Cypriot side demonstrated the necessary political willingness.

The proposal highlighted the possibility of using water infrastructure as an avenue for cooperation between the island's two communities.

As Greek Cypriot authorities prepare substantial investments in desalination and water infrastructure, Türkiye's existing pipeline remains a major component of the TRNC's water supply network, providing an alternative source of freshwater amid recurring drought conditions across the island.

TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said last week that the Turkish Cypriot side remained open to cooperation with the Greek Cypriot leadership on both water and natural gas.

"Our door is always open to the Greek Cypriot leadership on both water and natural gas," he noted in a written statement.

Üstel added that his government was closely monitoring the Greek Cypriot administration's diplomatic initiatives and correspondence with the United Nations and European Union, warning that unilateral actions disregarding Turkish Cypriots' rights and interests could further undermine stability on the island.

Türkiye and the TRNC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on natural gas supplies on July 10, after which Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that work had begun on a subsea pipeline linking the two.

Bayraktar said the planned pipeline would stretch 101 kilometers (63 miles), including 97 kilometers offshore and 4 kilometers onshore, connecting Anamur on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast with Teknecik in the TRNC.

The project envisages two 22-inch pipelines designed to operate in both directions, allowing natural gas to flow from Türkiye to the TRNC while also enabling any future gas production from the island to be transported to Türkiye and potentially onward to Europe.