An Israeli government delegation recently concluded negotiations in Ankara with Turkey’s State Water Works (DSI) on purchasing water from the Republic. The talks follow an Israeli Cabinet approval of such a deal earlier this year, reported Milliyet .
The water would originate from Manavgat Falls, near Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. According to DSI Director Mumtaz Turfan the Israeli delegation will make a purchase decision by the end of June.
In 1998 the Turkish government launched the concept of shipping its water surplus to Israel and in 2000 the Israeli government approved the deal. Israel’s water shortage has grown steadily more acute in the last few years reaching an annual shortage of 500 million cubic meters. Shortly after, the Israeli government cancelled a tender to ship 50 million cubic meters of Turkish water a year to its Ashkelon port on the grounds that none of the bidders met all of the tender conditions.
Israeli officials have now been warned that Turkey will not sign a contract with the state-owned Israel Military Industries (IMI) unless the government approves a $350 million water purchase over the next 10 years. In early March, Turkey announced an award to IMI for the upgrade of 170 M-60 tanks for $668 million. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
