Israel Talking to Turkey About Importing Water

Turkey could solve Israel’s chronic water shortage by hauling enormous water-filled plastic bubbles by tugboat across the Mediterranean, Turkey’s president said Wednesday.

Such a project could eventually supply Israel with up to 140 billion cubic feet of water a year, Turkish President Suleyman Demirel said after talks with Israeli President Ezer Weizman.

Israel and Turkey already have close military and economic ties, and the relationship would become even stronger should Turkey turn into Israel’s major water supplier. Many Arab countries in the region, especially Syria, are watching the Israeli-Turkish ties with great concern, fearing that the alliance could eventually dominate the Middle East.

After Israel received only a fraction of the usual rainfall over the winter, water authorities severely restricted farmers’ ability to irrigate and appealed to the public to save water.

Arab resentment at Turkey surfaced Wednesday when Demirel prayed at the famed Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Palestinian protesters called Demirel a traitor and an infidel, and the president was quickly ushered out of the compound by security guards.

Several Palestinian teenagers chased after him, scuffling with Palestinian guards who tried to stop them.

Demirel, on the first day of his two-day visit to Israel, also met with the new Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Demirel was to travel to Palestinian-controlled areas on Friday.

With Israel and its neighbors suffering from the worst drought in decades, Weizman said Barak would go to Turkey for talks on the water issue, but no date was set for the visit.

Demirel suggested a joint project to capture the waters of the Manavgat River in southwest Turkey and ship the precious cargo to Israel. The amount could meet Israel’s needs “several times over,” he said.

Water tankers could be used for the 400-mile ocean hop. Another idea under consideration is filling gigantic plastic bubbles with fresh water from the river. The bubbles would float on the ocean’s salt water, and tugboats could haul them to Israel.

“It’s a matter of price and conditions,” Demirel said.

Demirel also discussed Middle East politics with Barak, just before the Israeli leader left for talks with President Clinton in Washington.