A proposal for a pipeline that would run from Turkey to Israel was confirmed this week by senior officials at the Israeli National Infrastructure Ministry. The two countries are now in negotiations over the construction of a multi-million-dollar energy and water project that will transport water, electricity, natural gas and oil by pipelines to Israel, news media in Turkey and Israel report. Mayor Menderes Turel from Antalya, Turkey said this week that the oil would then be sent on from Israel to the Far East. "We are talking about a global energy project, which would be a very important engine of peace in the region," Turel said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

Turel visited Israel this week to attend the International Conference of Mayors held in Jerusalem. He said that the grandiose project had received tentative approval from both Turkey and Israel and would greatly enhance an abrogated landmark 2004 proposal to export water to Israel using large tankers, which proved to be prohibitively expensive.

Source: Turkish Weekly, 12 May 2006

Tags: water resources management