Turkey to launch space agency this year: Tech minister

ANKARA

A Turkish space agency to coordinate aerospace works and manage international relations will launch this year, Turkey’s industry and technology minister said on Aug. 7.

“The Turkish Space Agency will be founded this year as set out in the 100-day action plan. Work to form its organization will be completed as soon as possible,” Mustafa Varank said in a statement.

“Priority targets of the agency are to guide and coordinate the Turkish space sector, and manage international relations [concerning space] through a single desk,” he added, stating that the new agency will pave way for the establishment of a competitive indigenous industry.

Varank also recalled that Turkey has developed R&D activities in satellite technology since early 2000s and produced observation satellites BİLSAT, RASAT and GÖKTÜRK-2. Wide-scale satellite projects of TÜRKSAT 6A and İMECE followed them, he said.

A research center for optical systems will start operating under the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), Varank added.