Arife Yıldız Ünal
30 June 2026•Update: 30 June 2026
Türkiye’s Turksat and Qatar-based satellite operator Es'hailSat have signed a strategic partnership agreement for the Es'hail-3/Turksat-Biruni satellite project, Türkiye’s transport and infrastructure minister announced on Tuesday.
Abdulkadir Uraloglu said in a written statement that the agreement was signed in Doha by Es'hailSat President and CEO Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari and Turksat General Manager Ahmet Hamdi Atalay.
Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on capacity sharing and long-term commercial growth for the high-throughput Ka-band Es'hail-3/Turksat-Biruni satellite, which will operate at the 50 degrees east orbital slot.
“With the cooperation covering the Es'hail-3/Turksat-Biruni satellite project, the two companies have established a long-term strategic partnership in line with capacity sharing and joint commercial growth targets,” Uraloglu said.
He said the project would strengthen the commercial capacity of Turksat-Biruni and further increase Türkiye’s global effectiveness in satellite communications.
Uraloglu said the partnership was not only about launching a new satellite project but also about expanding Türkiye’s presence in space, increasing access to new markets and improving its competitiveness in satellite communications.
The project, to be financed by Qatar, will add a new high-throughput satellite to Turksat’s fleet, the minister said.
“With the additional capacity to be made available to Turksat, we will further strengthen our country’s satellite communications infrastructure,” he added.
The cooperation will jointly evaluate the two companies’ satellite assets, ground infrastructure, distribution networks and customer portfolios, he added.
Uraloglu said infrastructure investments would be shared more efficiently, while capacity use would be optimized to maximize the commercial potential of Turksat-Biruni from the first day of service.
He said the project would provide Turksat with a capacity of up to 50 gigabits per second.
The minister underlined that Türkiye’s strategic rights would be protected under the project, adding that the frequency and orbital rights at 50 degrees east would be maintained and no transfer of rights would take place.
The satellite to be launched will be registered under Turksat at the International Telecommunication Union, he said.
Uraloglu said the project would both secure Türkiye’s existing rights and add a new-generation high-capacity satellite to the national fleet.
He said Turksat-Biruni would serve a wide geography, including the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Thanks to this partnership with Qatar, we will establish a much stronger service network in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
The minister said Turksat’s technical infrastructure and experience would be combined with Es'hailSat’s regional strength to create new opportunities at the global level.
The partnership will offer services across several sectors, including high-capacity broadband internet, aviation and maritime mobility services, communications for public institutions and corporate data transmission, he added.
Uraloglu said the agreement also adds a new dimension to the strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Qatar, advancing bilateral ties in space and satellite technologies.
* Writing by Mucahithan Avcioglu in Istanbul
