Baku, Azerbaijan, June 7
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Turkey is currently actively developing in various fields, and it is possible that the time will come when the country will send an astronaut into space, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkish media reported June 7.
Erdogan noted that development in all directions, including the space sector, is a priority for Turkey.
"Today, Turkey leads the way in many directions in the region," Erdogan said.
Earlier, a source in the government of Turkey told Trend that one of the goals of Turkey is to send astronauts into space, and the implementation of this task is planned to begin after the country will create a national space agency.
The source said currently, work is underway in Turkey to create a national space agency. "The creation of the national space agency in Turkey is one of the most important priorities for the Turkish government," the source said.
Turkey will allocate $6 billion for creation of the national space agency, scheduled for 2023.
The project to create the space agency is the second biggest undertaking in Turkey after the construction of a shipping channel in Istanbul.
The national space agency will have a territory of 500 hectares, with 100 hectares planned for the construction of a special center for development of space technologies. The agency is being created to ensure the national interests of Turkey. The agency's headquarters will be located in Ankara.
In February 2017, the draft law on the establishment of the National Space Agency was submitted to the Turkish Parliament for consideration.
The government of Turkey announced the creation of the National Space Agency for the first time in January 2016.
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