Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Hassan al-Janabi announced on Thursday that Turkey agreed to postpone filling the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River that has compounded a drought in neighboring Iraq. Janabi said meetings will continue between the Iraq and Turkey on how to ensure enough water flows to Iraq during and after the filling of the reservoir behind the Ilisu dam. Turkey’s ambassador to Iraq Fatih Yildiz said on Twitter that Turkey stopped filling the dam on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s orders to address Iraq’s water shortage. “As of this moment, Tigris waters are being transferred to Iraq without touching a drop of it in Ilisu,” Yildiz said. “With the second decision to postpone, we have shown once again that we can put our neighbor’s needs ahead of our own.” The filling will resume on July 1, he said, adding that water will still flow into Iraq in accordance with agreements between the two countries. Water levels of the Tigris have decreased significantly since June 1, spreading panic among Iraqis who in some places were able to cross the riverbed on foot. Turkey had started filling the Ilisu dam earlier this month, fueling worries over Iraq’s water shortages, after delaying its planned start by three months at the request of its southern neighbor. Dams built in neighboring Iran on its tributaries to the Tigris have also contributed to low water levels. Around 70 percent of Iraq’s water resources flow from neighboring countries, especially in the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. Both flow through Turkey. In a press conference on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said he was surprised Turkey had started filling the dam and suggested it was done to win support for the government in June 24 elections.