Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, at the opening of the “Planetary Congress” hosted by Gökmen Space Aviation Training Center (GUHEM) and organized by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), stated that humanity’s interest in space dates back to as old as human history. told.
Kacır stated that human beings trying to solve the mysteries of the universe through sky observations enabled the development of positive sciences and continued as follows:
“Our ancient civilization has also made significant contributions to space and astronomy throughout history. Fergani, one of the world’s first astronomers, calculated the sizes of the planets and their distances from each other with precision in the 9th century. He discovered that the Sun also has an orbit and rotates around itself. Again in the same century, algebra Harezmi, the founder of the science of science and whose books were taught as basic mathematics textbooks in European universities until the 16th century, produced works showing the movements of the Sun, the Moon and the 5 planets known at that time. His relevant observations formed the basis for engineering and scientific studies. Uluğ Bey’s Zici Ulubey, Ulubey’s astronomy tables, which accurately show the positions and movements of celestial bodies, were accepted as the basic book of positional astronomy by all scientists until the invention of the telescope. Ali Kuşçu 15′ He went down in history as the first scientist who managed to map the Moon in the 10th century. “Ali Kuşçu’s star maps helped Christoph Columbus in the discovery of the American continent.”
Minister Kacır emphasized that the studies carried out in the field of space and astronomy trigger new discoveries and inventions, while the scientific knowledge revealed turns into the common heritage of humanity.
“We should be able to benefit more from space”
Stating that the common scientific heritage forms the basis of the level of development that humanity has reached today, Kacır said:
“Efforts to explore space have continued to be a symbol of peace and cooperation for centuries. Projects that bring together many countries, such as the International Space Station, allow us to understand the mystery of space and the opportunities it provides us. Space, which is the source of critical solutions in many areas from transportation to communications, from health to climate change.” We must be able to benefit more. This is only possible if the countries of the world come to a common mind and everyone takes responsibility effectively and fairly. We have to ensure that everyone benefits from space technologies and facilitates their access to technology development capabilities, without leaving anyone behind. The world should focus on collaborations, not technological monopolies. Humanity needs to work together, not polarize. Today, we, as Turkey, are ready to contribute to the peaceful and fair use of space with our national infrastructure, talents and trained human resources. We are using our competencies in the field of space with the vision of a national technology move under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We aim to take it much further.”
Reminding that he established the Turkish Space Agency in 2018 to coordinate Turkey’s work in space, Kacır reminded that the National Space Program, which reveals Turkey’s concrete goals in the field of space, was shared with the world in 2021 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Emphasizing that Turkey has 10 projects that it aims to realize by 2030, Kacır continued his words as follows:
“We have planned our country’s first manned space mission within the scope of the Turkish astronaut and science mission. Our first Turkish space traveler who will go to the International Space Station will perform 13 different scientific experiments from medicine to material science. Our first Turkish space travelers, who are still training, are our skymen, as Bursa likes to call them.” , are with us in this program. Let’s all applaud the first Turkish space travelers, Alper Gezeravcı and Tuva Cihangir Atasever, in this meeting where we host nearly 70 astronauts and cosmonauts. Let’s give them courage. Hopefully, they will also be able to do this with this mission, which they will accomplish in a short time. “They will take a new step in the great human family. They will break an important first in order to make Turkey a part of this community, and they, like you, will be a source of inspiration for Turkish youth, Turkish children and the youth and children of many countries for many years to come.”
“We have completed the production processes of Türksat 6A and we continue the testing studies”
Referring to the Lunar Research Program, Kacır stated that they planned the program in two stages.
Minister Kacır stated that the spacecraft, which was developed with local and national resources in the first stage, will reach the orbit of the Moon, collect scientific data and reach the Moon, and said:
“In the second stage, scientific experiments will be carried out by landing on the Moon surface. We know that we will achieve all the goals of the National Space Program, especially these two goals, only by creating a strong technological and physical infrastructure in our country and providing opportunities to our young people and developing their competencies. As Turkey, we are currently producing our own satellites.” We are a country with the ability to develop and test. İmece, our high-resolution earth observation satellite that we developed and produced with local and national resources, was launched into space last April. Our İmece satellite, which settled in its orbit, successfully transmitted the first signals and images to the ground station. Our local and national communication satellite, Türksat 6A. We have completed the production processes of the TURKSAT 6A and are continuing its test work. When Türksat 6A is put into operation next year, Turkey will be one of the 10 countries that can produce its own communication satellites. While increasing our country’s technology development capability in the field of space, it will host space initiatives and open the space technology development zone in Ankara in the coming period. we will establish. “We will also complete and inaugurate the Eastern Anatolian Observatory, which has one of the largest telescopes in Europe, which we have developed with domestic resources, from optical design to control software, and which will accelerate our scientific studies in the field of space, in a short time.”
“We are implementing many collaborations in the field of space sciences and technologies.”
Minister Kacır emphasized that TEKNOFEST, the aviation, space and technology festival, whose enthusiasm and excitement is experienced every year, is one of the meeting points of the nation with the sky.
Explaining that TEKNOFEST is one of the biggest steps taken for the discovery and development of qualified human resources in the field of space, Kacır said:
“With TEKNOFEST, the world’s largest aviation and space festival, our young people have the opportunity to design and develop technology in many different fields, from unmanned aerial vehicles to rockets, from model satellites to jet engines. This year, 337 thousand participants from 97 different countries and all 81 cities of Turkey participated in the competitions we held in 44 different fields. The participation of one million young people in the team brought our excitement to the top. We are organizing TEKNOFEST in three major cities of Turkey, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, in 2023, the 100th anniversary of our Republic. After Istanbul and Ankara, this week TEKNOFEST excitement will be in Izmir. “On this occasion, I invite you and all our people to come to Izmir and experience the excitement of TEKNOFEST with us.”
Kacır touched upon the sky observation events that have been held for 25 years with the participation of thousands of people from ages 7 to 70, and stated that they brought space and the Turkish nation together with the events.
Emphasizing that they have established science centers all over Turkey in order to bring science and technology together with society, Kacır said:
“GUHEM, which you will visit within the scope of the program and meet with our young people, is the best example in this field. GUHEM is Turkey’s first science center with a space and aviation theme. It will take Turkey further in space and aviation and contribute to the training of future astronauts, scientists, pilots and engineers.” A science center that will provide Together with us, we actively contribute to space studies within international organizations, especially the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Organization of Turkish States Space Agencies. Working together with the international space community to solve humanity’s biggest problems and ensuring our nation’s and our nation’s We are also in the candidacy process to organize the International Aeronautics and Aerospace Congress (IAC) in Antalya in 2026, in order to develop new collaborations for the benefit of humanity. We dream that IAC 2026 will be a forum where developing countries will showcase their achievements and also demonstrate their concrete efforts to contribute to all humanity. In the name of peace and cooperation for the effective and beneficial use of space for the whole world, we say ‘As Turkey, we are also in space’. As we build the Turkish Century, we are now investing more in space technologies and collaborating more to use space to benefit all humanity. “I would like to thank all our stakeholders, especially the Space Explorers Association and our Bursa Chamber of Industry and Commerce, for organizing this event, which we accept as the motto and theme of the words of the founder of our Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, ‘The future is in the skies’.”
