Türkiye, Qatar sign satellite partnership for Es'hail-3 project

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu on Tuesday announced that Türkiye's state satellite operator Turksat and Qatar's Es'hailSat have signed a strategic partnership for the Es'hail-3/Turksat-Biruni project, a high-throughput satellite initiative financed by Doha. The agreement was signed in the Qatari capital by Es'hailSat President and CEO Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari and Turksat General Manager Ahmet Hamdi Atalay, establishing cooperation on capacity sharing and long-term commercial growth. "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 in a written statement.

Technical capabilities and coverage

The Ka-band satellite will provide up to 50 gigabits per second of capacity when operational at the 50 degrees east orbital slot, serving markets across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Services will include high-capacity broadband internet, aviation and maritime mobility solutions, and corporate data transmission for public institutions. "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," Uraloglu said, adding that Turksat's technical infrastructure would combine with Es'hailSat's regional strength to optimize ground investments.

Orbital rights preserved

Uraloglu emphasized that the project secures Türkiye's existing strategic rights at 50 degrees east without transferring frequency or orbital ownership to external parties, with the spacecraft to be registered under Turksat at the International Telecommunication Union. The minister noted that infrastructure investments would be shared more efficiently to maximize the commercial potential of Turksat-Biruni from its first day of service, while the partnership itself adds a new dimension to bilateral cooperation in space technologies between Ankara and Doha.