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Türkiye has the industrial and infrastructure capacity to become a meaningful partner across the global space ecosystem, the country's first astronaut, Brig. Gen. Alper Gezeravci, said during Teknofest in Sanliurfa.
Speaking to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency at Teknofest, held at Sanliurfa GAP Airport, Gezeravci said Türkiye's existing facilities and industrial base could support participation in a wide range of space activities.
“Türkiye's facilities and industrial infrastructure are at a level that can make the country a stakeholder in every kind of space ecosystem,” he said. “What is important is for it to be included in projects where it can clearly find the position it deserves among the gears of this ecosystem.”
The aerospace, space and technology festival is organized by Türkiye's Industry and Technology Ministry and the T3 Foundation, with the Anadolu Agency serving as its global communications partner.
Gezeravci noted that this year's event is the ninth Teknofest held in Türkiye and said Sanliurfa has one of the country's youngest and most concentrated youth populations.
Young people from Sanliurfa and surrounding provinces were gathering at the festival and interacting directly with developments in defense, aviation and space.
Gezeravci said organizers were meeting young visitors in festival tents to connect them with Türkiye's recent work in those sectors and encourage them to see potential future career paths.
He highlighted a phrase frequently repeated at Teknofest: “Let a child come and touch an airplane.”
The expression carried particular meaning for him because, despite later becoming Türkiye's first participant in a human spaceflight mission, he did not have the opportunity to touch an aircraft until he was 18.
He said children attending the festival with their parents, as well as university students already choosing career paths, could now see tangible examples of Türkiye's capabilities and gain inspiration for their futures.
The direct interaction with young people also demonstrated how the festival could produce concrete results by turning enthusiasm into greater interest in science, technology, defense and space.
Gezeravci said Türkiye had not previously fully understood how the infrastructure developed through its defense and aviation sectors could translate into the broader space ecosystem.
He said participation in Türkiye's first human space mission provided an opportunity to better understand the country's capacity beyond limited areas such as satellites by working alongside international partners.
The 77th International Astronautical Congress, or IAC 2026, which will be held in Antalya from Oct. 5-9.
He said bringing together Türkiye's existing infrastructure and human resources at the congress, and hosting the event in the country, would be important for the development of the sector.
Gezeravci pointed in particular to scientific paper abstracts submitted by universities, saying Türkiye had received the highest number of applications for presentation to the congress's evaluation committees.
“We are at the point where the underlying momentum is emerging,” he said. “We have been able to spread this enthusiasm to this audience.”
He said the concrete products developed by those involved could later translate into industrial outputs.
Gezeravci added that work was continuing to strengthen institutions responsible for Türkiye's space ecosystem, improve their integration with international cooperation frameworks and deepen connections with global partners.
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