Turkey has selected Airbus to build its Turksat 5A and Turksat 5B spacecraft to be launched in 2020. The formal construction order is expected to be signed after final negotiations over the workshare have been concluded. Some 25% of the work for the Turksat 5B will go to Turkish industry. Originally Turksat 5A was to be built by Turkish Aerospace Industries, with the order made in 2011. This was apparently cancelled after Turkish Aerospace Industries received the order for Turksat 6A in December 2014.
UPDATE 9 November 2017: The contract was formally signed on 9 November 2019 between Turkey and Airbus Defence and Space for the construction of Turksat 5A and 5B. The manufacturer had been originally selected in October. The satellites will use the Eurostar E3000e (EOR) bus/platform which mainly uses electric propulsion for orbit raising and station keeping. Turksat 5A will be a 3,500kg (at launch) direct broadcast communications satellite with a power of 12kW and will use its Ku-band payload to provide services from its 31 degree east longitude position in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). The spacecraft will be launched as part of an on orbit delivery contract in 2020. The second spacecraft, Turksat 5B will be larger at 4,500kg at launch which is expected to take place in 2021. The satellite will operate both Ku- and Ka-band payloads at the 42 East location in the GEO arc. It will be a “High Throughput Satellite” offering more than 50Gps to its clients in Turkey, Middle East and Africa. The satellite will have an electrical power of 15kW.
Post Script: Space News reports that Turkey’s courts are wreaking revenge by giving out a succession of life sentences to those in the coup attempt against President Erdogan, including those involved in the F-16 jet fighter bomber strike on Turksat’s offices which killed two. See Here
