Ankara has planned to allocate nearly $2 billion to its aviation and space industries over the next three years, according to the 2027 central government budget draft and budget justification.
The budget dedicated to the national space and aviation programme stood at $176 million this year and is set to surge by 181.7 percent to $495.7 million in 2027 to strengthen Türkiye's global competitiveness in the sector.
Financial commitments are projected to rise further to $616.9 million in 2028 and $745 million in 2029.
Under the spending framework, approximately $377.3 million will be directed towards the construction, operation, and servicing of air transport facilities, with total aviation infrastructure investments projected to reach $581.1 million in 2028 and $596.2 million in 2029 to meet rising domestic travel demand.
Ankara aims to accommodate 272 million airport passengers next year, including direct transit travellers, rising to 282 million in 2028 and 291 million by 2029.
Orbital infrastructure
The expanded space budget will support Türkiye's National Space Programme, dedicated research, testing infrastructure, and the commercialisation of high-value-added domestic technologies.
The push follows notable sector milestones in recent years, including the deployment of the country's first indigenous communications satellite, Turksat 6A, and the sub-metre Earth observation satellite, Imece.
Türkiye also completed its first crewed scientific space missions in 2024, when astronauts Alper Gezeravci and Tuva Cihangir Atasever conducted experiments in orbit.
The southwestern city of Antalya hosted the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) on October 5–9, ahead of preparations for Türkiye's maiden deep-space lunar mission scheduled for next year.
The lunar venture relies on a homegrown spacecraft featuring more than 80 percent domestic content and a hybrid propulsion system; the craft has completed assembly and is undergoing final testing.
Concurrently, the Turkish Space Agency is advancing efforts to establish a spaceport in Somalia to secure sovereign, independent access to orbit.
