TURKISH UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRIES

UNCLAS ANKARA 001259 SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS TO EUR/SE AND NP/ECNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA ETTC PARM PREL MARR MASS TU SUBJECT: TURKISH UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRIES TAKES OVER SATELLITE COOPERATION PROGRAM REF: A. ANKARA 6205 ¶B. STATE 225833 ¶C. ANKARA 5005 ¶1. Deputy PolMilCouns followed up with Turkish Air Force (TUAF) Space Branch Satellite Systems Design Officer Captain Kocabicak regarding TUAF evaluation of the international responses to the Remote Sensing Satellite Questionnaire it had submitted to six countries in August 2004. Per Captain Kocabicak's comments in November (Ref A),TUAF had expected to complete its evaluation of the responses by the end of the first quarter of 2005. However, according to Kocabicak, TUAF has already completed its evaluation and, during the week of Feb. 27, held a meeting with the Turkish General Staff (TGS) and Savunma Sanayi Mustesarligi (SSM),the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, to discuss the project and to hand responsibility for next steps over to SSM. ¶2. According to both Captain Kocabicak and SSM Electronic Systems Office Director Ahmet Lutfu Varoglu, TUAF has passed the questionnaire responses to TGS, which will review them, and pass them to SSM within several weeks for final evaluation. According to Varoglu, if SSM determines that TUAF did not request adequate information in any particular area of interest, it may issue a Request for Information (RFI) by the end of March to gather the missing information. If, however, SSM considers the responses sufficient, it will assign a Turkish company to act as the prime contractor and will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) by mid-year for foreign companies to bid as subcontractors. Neither SSM nor TUAF would provide any details on the project parameters of the proposed RFP. ¶3. SSM office director Varoglu expected to have a better sense of the required next steps at the end of March. Post will follow up with SSM at that time. EDELMAN