ISRAEL OUSTED FROM TURKISH SATELLITE BID
Ynetnews, Israel
Dec 10 2007
Turkish military overturns Israel Aerospace Industries win of spy
satellites’ bid, citing a demand to deactivate it when flying over
country’s borders. ‘Decision may damage Israel-Turkey relations,’
says military source
Aryeh Egozi Published: 12.10.07, 09:47 / Israel Money
The Turkish government has rescinded Israel Aerospace Industries’
(IAI) participation in a new bid to provide the Turkish military with
spy satellites, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.
According to reports in the Turkish media, the decision was made
after Israel demanded Turkey refrains from activating the satellite
over its borders.
"Should that prove to be the real reason Israel was written out of
the bid, the incident may damage Israel-Turkey relations," a military
source told Yedioth Ahronoth.
Israel Aerospace Industries won a Turkish spy satellite bid in 2000,
but France based Alcatel Space Industries – which came in second the
bid – appealed the results.
In an unprecedented move, the Turkish military decided to overturn
the bid, awarding the contract to Alcatel; but the Turkish government
decided to overturn the bid a second time, after the French government
denounced what it called "the mass murder of Armenians in Turkey."
Once the bid was reopened, the IAI began renegotiating the $250 million
satellite deal with the Turkish Defense Ministry; but Turkey’s Defense
Ministry’s higher acquisitions division informed the IAI that only
three European companies have made it to the final stages of the bid.
The IAI was not available for comment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
