Türkiye achieves milestone in international space governance

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) – In a milestone for Türkiye’s rising space diplomacy, Turkish Space Agency (TUA) President Yusuf Kirac has been unanimously elected to lead the APSCO Council for the 2026–2027 term, becoming the first Turkish official to head the organization.

In a statement Sunday, the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry said Kirac’s election at APSCO's (Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization) 19th Council Meeting in Bangkok marks a historic milestone, noting that no Turkish representative had ever held the council presidency before.

The ministry described the decision as a clear reflection of Türkiye’s growing influence in regional and global space governance.

APSCO promotes the peaceful use of space, capacity-building, joint satellite programs, training schemes and technical cooperation among member states. Türkiye has increasingly become a prominent contributor to these technical, diplomatic and academic initiatives, the ministry added.

It said TUA’s active participation has positioned Türkiye among the leading actors in joint projects, human resources development programs and data-sharing mechanisms.

Kirac’s new role is expected to further boost Türkiye’s strategic weight within APSCO, deepen multilateral satellite and ground systems efforts, and enhance regional space capacity through collective projects.

- Türkiye emerges as active actor in global space diplomacy

The statement also noted that Kirac was elected vice president of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) during the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, becoming the first Turkish representative to serve in the IAF’s governance structure.

“When assessed together — APSCO Council presidency, IAF vice presidency, and Türkiye’s hosting of IAC 2026 in Antalya — it is clear that Türkiye’s diplomatic, institutional and scientific capacity in the space field is rising comprehensively,” the ministry said.

“This three-pillar structure shows that Türkiye is not only developing space technologies but is also becoming an active global actor in space diplomacy and governance,” it added.