Turkish PM: Israel in diplomatic war against satellite plan

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel on Friday because the Jewish state is waging a diplomatic war with several countries, including the US, to prevent Turkey from snapping pictures of its territory through a new Turkish satellite.

The GokTurk satellite is due to be in orbit by 2013, Erdogan noted while speaking at a meeting arranged in Ankara by a youth branch of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

This fact annoys some, Erdogan said, without mentioning the name of any particular country. Yet, he apparently addressed Israel since Turkey's leap into the aerospace market treads on Israel. Unlike with other nations that have fielded commercial satellites, Israel has little leverage over Ankara.

"You have been observing us for decades," Erdogan said at the meeting held with the theme of "Vision 2023."

"But now our GokTurk satellite will be in orbit by 2013," Erdogan said. "You are the ones who will firmly stick to the 2023 goals and exert efforts to make them real with all of your strength," he added, while addressing young members of his party.

Israel has already put pressure on France, which is working on the construction of the satellite in cooperation with the Italian-based Telespazio, to stop the project. "We try to ensure that we are not photographed at high resolutions and most [countries] accommodate us," a senior Israeli defense official told Reuters earlier this week. "Should we request this of the Turks? We won't ask for it. There is no one to talk to."

Last week, speaking with Cihan news agency, a senior official from the Turkish Ministry of Defense raised points similar to those of Erdogan.

"For years Israel has been obtaining images of our territory. For the first time we will have a satellite for intelligence. Reciprocity is essential in international relations. If they can observe Turkish soil, Turkey has the same right, too," the official said at the time.

Turkey's defense and procurement authorities had completed a deal with Telespazio for the construction and launch of the country's first military satellite, GokTurk, in 2009. The 250 million euro contract was signed on July 16, 2009 at a ceremony attended by top Turkish officials, including Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) head Murad Bayar and company representatives.

The agreement covers the supply of an earth-observation satellite equipped with a high-resolution optical sensor, an integration and test center for satellites to be built in Turkey and the entire ground segment of the system, which will carry out in-orbit operation, data acquisition and processing. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been eliminated from the approximately $250 million project.


/World Bulletin/