Turkey plans to launch spy satellite by 2012, PM says

Turkey plans to launch its first intelligence satellite by 2012, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said on Tuesday. In his speech at a meeting of his ruling Justice & Development Party, or AKP, Erdo?an said that the satellite was named "Goktürk" and it was now under construction by Turkish engineers. Turkey operates two communication satellites, Turksat 2A and Turksat 3A. It plans to procure two new communication satellites. Most recently, in September, another Turkish satellite Turksat 1C had "retired" 14 years after it was launched into space. More

(Source: Hurriyet Daily News - Oct 6)