Turkey, which has conducted three major aerial offensives against PKK targets in northern Iraq in the past week, has relied on intelligence from the US in the attacks. With the Göktürk electro-optical satellite system project the TSK will be able to use its own intelligence about the PKK.Göktürk, a reconnaissance and surveillance satellite system, will be capable of detecting the movements of objects smaller than one square meter and thus would help prevent PKK terrorists from infiltrating Turkish borders, Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM), told the Anatolia news agency.
The project, which is expected to cost about $200 million, will provide high-resolution imagery for military intelligence, the news agency said. The satellite system could also be used for monitoring civilian activities, such as control of forest land, damage assessments following natural disasters and geographical map data production.
The project consists of the construction of an electrolytic satellite system, a fixed land based station and a mobile land station. The satellite system will be produced and developed in cooperation between Turkish and foreign companies. Tusaş Aerospace Industries (TAI), the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and electronics company Aselsan will all be involved in the project.
Turkey decided to eliminate Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) from the Göktürk project while deciding to continue negotiations with Italian Tele Spazio, Germany's Ohb-Systems and Britain's EADS Astrium during a Dec. 5 meeting of the SSM Executive Committee, the top decision-making body on arms purchases. Israel's IAI was eliminated from the project apparently due to Israeli conditions, such as the non-usage of military satellites over its airspace.
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