The Meeting of Ministers and Parliamentarians before the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya was hosted by the Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır. To the meeting; Ministers, deputy ministers, ambassadors and parliamentarians from 38 countries attended. At the meeting, peaceful space exploration, space law, sustainable space economy and global space governance issues were discussed. Minister Kacır shared with the participants the point Türkiye has reached in space studies and the projects planned to be implemented in the coming period.
Noting that they came together with the senior executives of the countries that will participate in the congress, Minister Kacır said, "We attended the Ministerial and Parliamentarians Meeting just before the 77th International Space Congress, which we will host for the first time as Turkey. The International Space Congress will start tomorrow. October 5-9 will be the days when the heart of the global space agenda beats in Türkiye. More than 12 thousand guests from 111 countries will be in our country and beautiful Antalya on the occasion of the International Space Congress. "More than 40 astronauts will be with us again on the occasion of this congress. The International Astronautical Congress is a scientific organization. This year, a record was broken with more than 8 thousand scientific article applications. It is also a commercial platform where global space and technology leaders and new generation technology startups come together."
Stating that hundreds of scientists will participate in the space congress, Minister Kacır said, "This congress is a great event, both in terms of scientific and economic aspects, in which direction the future of the space economy, which currently exceeds 600 billion dollars, will move, in what ways human beings can benefit from space more effectively, and at the same time, that space is not an area where only a few countries or a few companies work on, but also that it is a platform where scientists, companies, and technology initiatives from different countries of the world can contribute to the development and where the whole world can benefit from the gains in the most equitable way." "It is valuable and important. Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye is both carrying out the National Technology Move and implementing the National Space Program," he said.
Talking about the goals of the National Space Program, Minister Kacır said, "We, as Turkey, will continue to contribute to manned space research carried out at the global level in the coming period. With İMECE, we have now become one of the countries that can produce high-resolution, sub-meter resolution imaging satellites in imaging satellites. Again, TÜRKSAT 6A became our first national communication satellite, and thus Turkey became one of the 11 countries that can develop its own communication satellites. With İMECE-2 and İMECE-3, more qualified projects in imaging satellites have been realized. "TÜRKSAT 7A will be developed and produced with Türkiye's own means and capabilities as a communication satellite with which we have access to more advanced technological capabilities," he said.
Stating that they are preparing for a deep space program, Minister Kacır said, "2027 will be the year in which Türkiye carries out its Moon mission. In the first months of 2027, as a result of the joint efforts of Turkish engineers, colleagues, scientists and researchers, we will send the lunar spacecraft, which we have produced with an 87 percent local production rate, to the Moon. Turkey will become one of the nine countries that can reach the Moon with the spacecraft it has developed and produced. We will use our national hybrid rocket technology in deep space for the first time in a historic space." "It will bring with it an important gain that will enable us to achieve success. The lunar spacecraft we will send will first serve as a satellite around the Moon and research on the Moon's surface will be carried out," he said.
Pointing out that space research projects are being expanded, Minister Kacır said, "Another project of critical value is the spaceport we have implemented in Somalia. This is a region very close to the equator thanks to its location. It will carry Türkiye to the goal of becoming a country that can launch its own rockets and self-produced spacecraft from its own spaceport. Thus, Turkey will become one of the very few countries that can provide independent access to space. For the first time, it will be a partner at the Ministerial and Parliamentarians' Meeting held within the scope of this congress." "The declaration will be published," he said.
Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and AK Party Ankara Deputy, who participated in the program, said: "Turkey is now a country that says 'I am in space'. In what sense is it a country that says 'I am in space'? It is a country that makes its own satellites, sent its first astronaut into space, and now says 'I am in this sector' as a country that has stepped into deep space studies. What our Minister refers to as 'space port' is one of the most critical stages." "The fact that we are currently building in Somalia indicates that we are at the very center of these works and that we have serious claims about the future. We are in the top 11 with these works, but Türkiye has the goal of being in the top 10 in every field," he said.
Stating that they attach importance to space programs and science throughout the parliament, Fuat Oktay said, "It is now aimed to be permanent on the Moon, to turn the Moon into a space station, and most importantly, to carry out all the testing phases and studies on the Moon for the subsequent journey to Mars. We look at the issue at the parliamentary level. It has the feature of creating a consensus and being a law-making element not only at the local level but also at the international level. A declaration was published here today. Who will have a say in space? Will everyone be able to move as they wish in space? Traffic in space "Who will manage it? Who will eliminate the environmental pollution in space? When there is a competition related to the use of minerals in space, who will prevent this destructive competition in the world from moving there? We, as parliamentarians, are trying to contribute to this, together with our governments, international organizations, all relevant structures including the UN and especially our ministry. When our President decides on this issue, puts forward the vision and determines the goals and objectives, there is no chance of this not happening."
