International Astronautical Congress and 'Space for Peace' Declaration in Antalya

The congress, organized every year by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), will be held this year on October 5-9, under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, co-hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and SAHA Istanbul and AA's "Global Communication Partnership", at the Antalya NEST Congress Center, with the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The traditionally held Meeting of Ministers and Parliamentarians (MMoP) was held in Antalya, hosted by Minister Kacır.

The summit, which brings together leaders who shape global space policies, is considered one of the most critical platforms of space diplomacy worldwide.

Ministers, MPs, parliamentary delegations, heads of space agencies and senior executives of international organizations from 38 countries from Europe to Asia, from Africa to the Americas attended the high-level session.

At the meeting, strategic issues such as peaceful space exploration, outer space missions, space law, integration of developing countries into the space ecosystem and sustainable space economy were discussed at the multilateral diplomacy table.

Representing Türkiye, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Foreign Affairs Commission and AK Party Ankara Deputy Fuat Oktay, Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Digital Media Commission and AK Party Ankara Deputy Zeynep Yıldız, AK Party Istanbul Deputy Sena Nur Çelik Kanat, and Turkish Space Agency (TUA) President Yusuf Kıraç were also present at the meeting.

"Progress in space is valuable to the extent that it serves the earth"

In his speech at the meeting, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that they were proud to accept the declaration that united ministers, parliamentarians and distinguished representatives of space agencies around a common commitment to peace, responsibility and cooperation in space for the first time in the history of IAC MMoP.

"The 'Space for Peace Antalya Declaration' was initiated by Türkiye, the host of IAC 2026, in line with the vision of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to advance peace through dialogue and international cooperation." Kacır gave his information and said:

"This text was developed following close consultations with the IAF and our international partners. Our goal is to build a common international framework for a peaceful, sustainable and responsible approach to space. We are particularly pleased that 32 distinguished MMoP participants from 21 countries, including ministers, MPs and heads of space agencies, have accepted and endorsed this declaration."

Kacır stated that the declaration reflects the Antalya Spirit, defined by openness, mutual respect and constructive interaction, and while confirming the vital role of the IAF in developing global cooperation, he invited other countries and international organizations that have not yet become parties to accept and sign this declaration.

Emphasizing that space-based capabilities have now become the indispensable backbone of daily life, economic activities and disaster management, Kacır underlined that the ultimate goal of technology is human welfare.

Kacır said, "Progress in space only attains its full and true meaning when it produces tangible benefits for people on Earth. The question before us is not only how far we can advance technologically, but how effectively we can transform these capabilities into greater security, resilience and prosperity for our societies." he said.

"The space ecosystem cannot progress without entrepreneurship and innovation"

Minister Kacır stated that the global space sector is no longer limited only to public budgets, but the private sector and dynamic initiatives have become the driving force.

Kacır explained Türkiye's financing and infrastructure steps in this field as follows:

"The global space economy reached a record level of 686 billion dollars in 2025. Approximately four-fifths of this value came from commercial activities, which corresponds to almost 4 times the total spending on space by all world governments. Falling launch costs, shrinking satellites and increasing private sector investments have lowered the barriers to entry, allowing new actors to take part in this field, which in the past belonged only to a limited segment. However, innovation does not flourish on its own. A right ecosystem has the role of first customer and reliable partner." Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we have placed this understanding at the center of our technology policies. Our BİGG program is Turkey's largest public support mechanism for technology startups at the seed and pre-seed stage. Today, we have taken steps to provide over 750 million dollars of additional resources to our venture capital ecosystem. "We have also started our efforts to establish an independent Space Technopark in Ankara."

Kacır also gave detailed information to the delegations about Türkiye's domestic satellite development capabilities and targeted deep space projects and said, "Our first lunar spacecraft, which we plan to launch in early 2027, will operate with a domestic production rate of over 80 percent and a hybrid propulsion system we have developed. This mission will be an international test of the engineering know-how we have built and our power to turn the vision into concrete results." he said.