Officials, ministers, parliamentarians and heads of space agencies from 21 countries announced the adoption of the “Antalya Space for Peace Declaration” during the meeting of ministers and parliamentarians held in Antalya as part of the International Astronautical Congress 2026. The number of participants who accepted and endorsed the declaration reached 32, in what Turkey said was a first in the history of this meeting.
The International Astronautical Congress, organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), is being held from October 5 to 9, 2026, coordinated by the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and jointly hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and SAHA Istanbul. The ministerial and parliamentary meeting was hosted by Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, with the participation of high-level representatives from 38 countries in its plenary sessions.
A Political Framework for Space Cooperation
The declaration focuses on the peaceful uses of space, international cooperation, responsibility and sustainability, in addition to space law issues and the integration of developing countries into the space ecosystem. According to what Kacır presented, the text was drafted after consultations with the International Astronautical Federation and international partners, and Turkey is calling on countries and organizations that have not yet joined it to accept and sign it.
Kacır said the declaration reflects what he described as the “spirit of Antalya,” based on openness, mutual respect and constructive engagement. He also stressed that the value of space progress is measured by its ability to produce tangible benefits on Earth, in areas including daily life, economic activity and disaster management.
What Changes in Practice?
According to the information available, the text does not establish specific technical obligations or an implementation mechanism, but it gives peaceful space cooperation a multilateral political framework. Its practical importance lies in bringing decision-makers, parliamentarians and space-agency leaders together around shared principles, while the extent to which it will become policies or binding agreements remains an open question.
Turkey Presents Its Space Agenda
The minister linked the declaration to Turkey’s vision of expanding the private sector’s role in the space economy. He said the value of the global space economy reached $686 billion in 2025, with approximately four-fifths coming from commercial activities. He also pointed to the existence of more than 300 companies working in space technologies within Turkish technology zones, and to steps that added more than $750 million to the venture-capital ecosystem, in addition to the start of work to establish an independent space park in Ankara.
Turkey also presented its plan to launch its first lunar spacecraft at the beginning of 2027. According to Kacır, the proportion of locally produced components in the spacecraft will exceed 80%, and it will use a hybrid propulsion system developed by Turkey. The source presents this mission as a test of the country’s engineering capabilities, without providing additional details about the launch date or the nature of the scientific mission.
certi.news analysis: The event goes beyond being a protocol signing because it brings government, parliamentary and space stakeholders together around principles of cooperation at a time when the importance of space infrastructure for the economy and crisis management is growing. However, the declaration’s actual value will depend on additional parties joining it and on the existence of measurable implementation steps; the article does not disclose a follow-up mechanism or binding legal obligations.