Türkiye begins construction of spaceport in Somalia, Erdogan says

Türkiye has begun construction of a planned spaceport in Somalia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, describing the project as a “historic” partnership that will strengthen Ankara’s access to space while contributing to the development of Africa’s emerging space ecosystem.

Speaking at the opening of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Erdogan said Türkiye’s geographical circumstances had led it to pursue cooperation with Somalia on the project.

“Taking Türkiye’s geographical conditions into consideration, we are laying the foundations of a historic cooperation with our friend and brother Somalia in the field of space,” he said.

He further confirmed that the project had entered its construction phase.

“We have begun construction work on the spaceport that we will establish in Somalia. We are continuing our efforts with determination to bring this strategic project to life,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan explicitly linked the project to Africa’s wider space sector, saying Türkiye wanted the Somali facility to contribute to the development of the continent’s space ecosystem.

“With this project, alongside developing Türkiye’s capacity to access space, we aim to contribute to the development of the African continent’s space ecosystem,” he said.

The announcement marks a significant step in Türkiye’s plans to develop greater independent access to space and adds an advanced technology dimension to its expanding strategic relationship with Somalia.

Somalia in Türkiye’s space ambitions

Türkiye and Somalia have developed extensive cooperation in areas including defence, infrastructure, education, health, energy and development.

The spaceport project would extend that relationship into aerospace technology and launch infrastructure.

Erdogan’s remarks made clear that Ankara views Somalia as more than a location for an overseas launch facility, presenting the country as a partner in Türkiye’s longer-term space ambitions.

For Somalia, the potential benefits could extend beyond the launch facility itself if the project generates opportunities for Somali institutions, engineers and universities, particularly in training, research, engineering, technology transfer and participation in associated supply chains.

The facility would also place Somalia within a space industry that has historically been concentrated in a relatively small number of countries.

Why Somalia?

Erdogan specifically cited Türkiye’s geographical conditions when explaining the decision to pursue a spaceport in Somalia.

Somalia’s location near the equator and its extensive Indian Ocean coastline could offer advantages for certain types of launch operations.

The project would give Türkiye a strategic foothold for developing launch capabilities while potentially providing Somalia with a new platform for participation in the global space economy.

From satellites to lunar exploration

The Somali spaceport forms part of Türkiye’s broader National Space Programme, announced in 2021, which includes a goal of reaching the Moon.

Erdogan said Türkiye’s programme was focused not only on developing satellites and spacecraft but also on building the infrastructure needed to launch them.

“Today, in order to have a presence in space, producing satellites alone is not enough. It is also necessary to be able to access space,” Erdogan said.

“For this reason, we have given a special place in our National Space Programme to the objectives of access to space and a spaceport.”

Erdogan said Türkiye had completed the production, assembly and integration of its lunar spacecraft and was conducting system-level environmental tests.

The approximately 3.5-tonne spacecraft has a domestic production rate of more than 80 per cent, he said.

The spaceport project addresses another part of Türkiye’s space ambitions: the ability to launch spacecraft independently.

Erdogan calls for broader access to space

Erdogan argued that space should not become the exclusive domain of a handful of technologically advanced countries.

“Our principle is this: the space race cannot be a struggle conducted among only a few countries,” he said.

He added that space should not be viewed as a prize claimed by countries that reach it first.

“As Türkiye, we want more countries to benefit from the opportunities of space,” Erdogan said.
“We want more countries to produce science, more young people to gain access to space technologies, and more entrepreneurs to participate in the global space economy.”

Africa has expanded its involvement in satellites, earth observation, communications and other space activities in recent years, but many African countries continue to rely on launch infrastructure outside the continent.

Türkiye’s planned facility in Somalia could add a new physical component to that ecosystem by providing launch infrastructure on African territory.

A new dimension to Türkiye-Somalia ties

The spaceport project represents another expansion of Türkiye’s relationship with Somalia, which has developed substantially over the past decade.

Ankara has invested in infrastructure and development projects in Somalia and has maintained extensive cooperation with Mogadishu in defence, security, education, health and other sectors.

Space cooperation would take the relationship into a highly specialised technological field, linking Somalia to Türkiye’s ambitions in satellite engineering, lunar exploration and launch capabilities.

Erdogan argued that space had become a global domain that could no longer be shaped by individual countries acting alone.

“Space, regardless of a country’s technological capacity, has ceased to be an area that one country can shape alone,” Erdogan said, adding that international cooperation would be necessary to determine the future of space.

With construction now under way, the project adds a new and potentially significant chapter to the growing Türkiye-Somalia partnership, taking bilateral cooperation from traditional areas such as security and development into launch infrastructure, aerospace engineering and the global space economy.