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Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir announced Tuesday that feasibility and design studies for the spaceport Türkiye plans to establish in Somalia have been completed and that initial construction activities have begun.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier on Tuesday said Türkiye plans to build a spaceport in Somalia under recently signed agreements, underscoring deepening cooperation between the two countries. He made the remarks at a joint news conference in Istanbul with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, following talks at the Dolmabahce Working Office.
“Under the agreements we have signed, we plan to establish a spaceport in Somalia,” Erdogan said.
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, Kacir said that within the framework of the cooperation agreement between Türkiye and Somalia, a spaceport is being built on land allocated to Türkiye.
“The necessary feasibility and design studies have been completed, and the first phase of construction activities has begun,” he said.
Kacir said countries located in equatorial regions have technical advantages for access to space, adding that feasibility studies identified Somalia as the most advantageous location for a spaceport investment.
Kacir said work under the “Access to Space and Spaceport” objective of the National Space Program is being carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with contributions from relevant institutions, primarily the Turkish Space Agency.
“Having a spaceport will be a strategic step that positions Türkiye as an independent, competitive, and globally influential actor in space activities,” Kacir said.
He added that the investment would generate long-term gains for the space economy, enable fully independent launches of domestically developed satellite launch vehicles, and help establish a sustainable industrial ecosystem in launch technologies.
He said the spaceport in Somalia would serve not only national needs but also the global commercial space market.
Kacir said the spaceport would become a strategic infrastructure generating revenue for Türkiye through expanding commercial satellite launches, testing and integration activities, while also contributing to Somalia’s development.
He cited Somalia’s proximity to the equator, coastal location, year-round launch-suitable weather conditions and low air and maritime traffic density as key advantages for launch safety and efficiency, allowing flexible launch schedules and boosting global competitiveness.
“Very few countries in the world possess independent satellite launch infrastructure,” Kacir said. “Türkiye’s inclusion in this league represents a historic threshold in terms of technological maturity, strategic independence, and global prestige in the field of space.”
He said the project would strengthen Türkiye’s independent access to space, national security, industrial and technological capacity, and position in the global space economy.
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