Israel and Turkey discuss water deal

Turkey has spent millions on the Manavgat plant

By Chris Morris in Ankara

An Israeli delegation is holding talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara, about the possible sale of fresh water to Israel from a Turkish river.

Israel is suffering a chronic water shortage; Turkey is trying to sell an asset it has in relative abundance to drought-stricken countries around the Mediterranean.

Water is a contentious issue in the Middle East

The problem is the cost.

Turkey has spent tens of millions of dollars building a pumping station and a treatment plant on the Manavgat river on its southern coastline.

The water can be piped on board converted oil tankers moored off-shore and then shipped around the region.

Now Turkey needs some customers and there is plenty of interest from countries which are suffering severe water shortages.

The Turkish water treatment plant is in place

Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians have all been investigating the possibility of buying Turkish water and Ankara believes it could eventually have customers as far away as Libya and Malta.

There is some resistance to paying too much money for a resource as basic as fresh water, but Turkey needs to recoup its initial investment.

It knows water is fast becoming a strategic asset in such a dry region and it argues that at the right price, its water supplies can help contribute to peace in the Middle East.