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Yusuf Kıraç, president of the Turkish Space Agency, said that growing the space economy requires turning young people’s ideas and research into products, noting that the space economy is growing globally by around 8 to 9% annually. He also announced that Turkey aims to reach the Moon using its own capabilities next year, relying on locally developed technologies accounting for more than 80% of the mission.
Thirty-two ministers, parliamentarians and officials from space agencies in 21 countries signed the “Antalya Space for Peace Declaration” during a ministerial and parliamentary meeting hosted by Turkey as part of the International Astronautical Congress 2026. The declaration calls for an international framework for peaceful, sustainable and responsible space exploration, while Ankara presented its plans to support space companies and launch Turkey’s first lunar spacecraft in early 2027.