Egypt, Iran and Syria are reportedly intensifying their efforts to obtain space-based remote-sensing capability.
Several countries have launched drives to obtain or join in spy satellite projects, according to the Middle East Newsline (MENL).
At the same time, the agency said, Arab countries plan to establish a multinational space agency to help other members of the Arab League achieve remote-sensing capability. The countries decided to draft recommendations for discussion next year.
According to MENL, the issue was discussed during an Arab space seminar in Damascus earlier this week. The participants also agreed to establish an institute for space science, it added.
Over the last few months, several states have signed agreements for remote-sensing cooperation. All of them have been presented as civilian projects.
Iran and Syria have signed an agreement to obtain a remote-sensing satellite for meterological studies.
Meanwhile, Iraq has expressed strong concern over the Turkish project to own a spy satellite, noting that the Turkish-Israeli bilateral cooperation agreement had marked a turning point in a way that provoked people in the region.
An official spokesman at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry has been quoted in reports as saying that Turkey's perspective on cooperating and maintaining an alliance with Israel entered a new phase when Turkey signed a contract with Israel to have access to a satellite for spying – Albawaba.com
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