Turkey to announce space program in 2020

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will announce its National Space Program in 2020, the country's technology minister said Tuesday.

Speaking at the Turkish parliament's planning and budget committee, Mustafa Varank said: "Countries that do not make it to space, will not have a say on earth in the future."

Last December, a presidential decree announced the establishment of the country's space agency.

The minister added that Turkey will establish the Polar Research Institute under The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.

He went on to say that Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group will premiere its vehicles in December.

In June 2018, five Turkish industry giants; Anadolu Group, BMC, Kok Group, Turkcell and Zorlu Holding and an umbrella organization, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey joined hands to create an indigenous car.

Speaking of progress in the defense sector, he said: "Our defense firms received domestic and international orders of nearly 7 billion Turkish liras ($1.2 billion) in the last five years."