Erdogan: Türkiye won't abandon goal of becoming strong space power
17:39, 05/10/2026, MondayU: Update: 17:40, 05/10/2026, Monday
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during opening ceremony of 77th International Astronautical Congress at NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre in Antalya, Turkiye on October 5, 2026.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye will not deviate from its goal of becoming a major space power as he opened the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya on Monday, highlighting domestic advances in lunar exploration and satellite technology while criticizing efforts to weaponize space.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday declared that Türkiye will not abandon its goal of becoming a "strong and respected" global space power, highlighting domestic advances in lunar exploration and satellite technology at the opening of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya.
Lunar and satellite advances
Speaking at the congress on the Turkish Riviera, Erdogan announced that production, assembly, and integration activities for the lunar spacecraft developed under Türkiye's Lunar Research Program have been completed. The vehicle weighs approximately 3.5 tons and achieves a domestic production rate exceeding 80%, which the president called "a source of great pride," while he also highlighted Turksat 6A as evidence of the nation's growing engineering capabilities and industrial infrastructure.
TEKNOFEST and Somalia spaceport
The president noted that TEKNOFEST, Türkiye's major aerospace and technology festival which concluded last week in Sanliurfa, attracted applications from more than 730,000 teams spanning the country's 81 provinces and 97 countries worldwide. He also detailed plans for a spaceport in Somalia, an ally in Africa, stating the facility aims to strengthen Ankara's access to space while contributing to the development of the continent's space ecosystem.
Warning against militarization
Erdogan stressed that the space race cannot remain confined to a handful of nations and criticized attempts to weaponize the domain, saying that "space is not made up of spoils to be seized by whoever gets there first." He added that "weaponizing space and turning it into an instrument of an arms race, in particular, is profoundly wrong," as he voiced hope that the congress would benefit participating nations and humanity's shared future.
The 77th International Astronautical Congress brings together the international space community in Antalya through Friday. Anadolu serves as the global communication partner for the event, according to the agency.