Turkey and Israel were unable to finalize a deal on Thursday to export 50 million cubic meters of Turkish water a year to Israel because the transport costs have yet to be decided, the Israeli embassy said. An Israeli delegation met Turkish authorities in Turkey's capital Ankara, but were unable to agree on a final price for the water. Water is a contentious issue in the Middle East because of its scarcity. Israeli foes Iraq and Syria are largely reliant for drinking water, irrigation and power generation on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, both of which originate in Turkey. An Israeli embassy official said the cost of transporting the water from Turkey by ship to Israel must be ascertained before a final price for the water could be agreed.