The Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony was an official event held to mark the operational launch of Türkiye’s first domestically produced and nationally developed communications satellite. The ceremony took place following the successful completion of Türksat 6A’s design, production, launch, and orbital deployment phases, which enabled the satellite to become fully operational. As part of this process, the transition to service was formally announced to the public, and the satellite was officially commissioned under the operation of TÜRKSAT.
Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony (Turkish), April 21, 2025 - Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Official Youtube Channel
The event was held on April 21, 2025, at the TÜRKSAT Gölbaşı Campus within the Ankara provincial boundaries. It was attended by representatives from various public institutions, members of the political protocol, and project stakeholders.
Attendees
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presided over the Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony. Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also attended and delivered speeches outlining the project’s technical background and institutional process.
Senior officials from key institutions responsible for the project, including the Turkish Space Agency and TÜRKSAT A.Ş., as well as engineering teams and academic partners, were present. Alper Gezeravcı, Türkiye’s first astronaut, also participated in the ceremony and presented a commemorative gift to President Erdoğan. At the conclusion of the event, a group photo was taken with all attendees.
Turksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, April 21, 2025 - Anadolu Agency
Speeches Delivered at the Ceremony
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Speech
During his address at the Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the satellite’s significance for Türkiye’s presence in space and its communications infrastructure. He noted that Türksat 6A was launched into space on July 9, 2024, and that its transition to operational status was successfully completed with its first test broadcast on February 17, 2025.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Turksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, April 21, 2025 - Anadolu Agency
Erdoğan emphasized the importance of Türksat 6A as Türkiye’s first domestically manufactured and nationally developed communications satellite. He described the project as “the result of a meticulous, intense, and arduous effort spanning 20 years in pursuit of producing national technology.” With Türksat 6A, Türkiye has become one of only 11 countries capable of producing its own communications satellites.
He stated that the number of communications satellites operated by Türksat has risen to six, and the total number of Turkish satellites in space has reached ten. He also underlined the new satellite’s broad coverage area, which ensures uninterrupted communication for essential services such as television broadcasting and emergency communication.
Furthermore, Erdoğan explained that Türksat 6A extends Türkiye’s satellite coverage to new regions, including India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In this context, he declared, “With this, the number of people reached by our satellites around the world will rise from 3.5 billion to 5 billion.”
The president acknowledged the contributions of all engineers and personnel involved in the project. He emphasized that although the launch process was carried out in cooperation with SpaceX, the satellite’s operational management is being handled directly by TÜRKSAT. He described this as a demonstration of Türkiye’s “independent operational capability in space projects.”
When discussing the satellite’s development, Erdoğan stated that the experience gained by Turkish engineers from previous generations of satellites—3A, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B—was directly transferred to the Türksat 6A project. He remarked, “In defiance of those who said we couldn’t do it, we’ve done it—and we’ve done it even better.”
In conclusion, he reflected on the project’s technical merits, institutional collaborations, and its alignment with Türkiye’s strategic objectives, describing Türksat 6A as one of the key components of the “Century of Türkiye” vision.
Speech by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır
At the Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır emphasized that the project had significantly contributed to Türkiye’s accumulated knowledge and capacity in space technologies. He stated that the satellite was not only a technical achievement, but also the result of a long-term institutional collaboration and human capital development.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır at the Turksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, April 21, 2025 - Anadolu Agency
Kacır explained that the development of Türksat 6A involved joint efforts from several national institutions, including TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (UZAY), TÜRKSAT, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), ASELSAN, and CTech. He noted that around 500 experts had participated in the project, and that 84 components, across 24 different categories, were domestically produced. The satellite, he said, was completed with a local production rate exceeding 80%.
He further described Türksat 6A as a milestone not only in terms of technical capability but also in institutional experience, stating: “We combined the experience we gained from the procurement and operation of Türksat communications satellites with our manufacturing capabilities in Earth observation satellites.”
Kacır highlighted the role of earlier observation satellites such as Göktürk-2 and İMECE in shaping the technical foundations of Türksat 6A. He pointed out that Göktürk-2 had been operating in space for 12 years, and that the sub-meter resolution İMECE satellite provides unrestricted imaging from anywhere in the world.
Looking ahead, the minister shared updates on upcoming projects, noting that preparations for high-resolution observation satellites İMECE-2 and İMECE-3 were ongoing. He added that a broad response had been received to the recent “Satellite Technologies Development Call,” which aims to support low-orbit satellite initiatives. He also confirmed that the technological capabilities gained through Türksat 6A would be used in the production of the future Türksat 7A satellite.
To ensure greater coordination in public satellite development activities, Kacır announced plans to consolidate these efforts under a single national satellite company capable of competing on a global scale. Additionally, he revealed that a dedicated space technopark would be established in Ankara to support emerging space ventures in Türkiye. Concluding his remarks, Minister Kacır summarized Türkiye’s goals in space with the following statement: “We will secure the presence of a strong and fully independent Türkiye in space.” He also referred to the scientific experiments conducted under the Turkish Astronaut and Science Mission and the country’s vision to supply technology for future human space exploration.
Speech by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu
At the Türksat 6A Commissioning Ceremony, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that Türkiye’s journey with communications satellites, which began in 1994 with Türksat 1B, had entered a new phase with the launch of Türksat 6A.
Referring to the project’s technical background, Uraloğlu explained that the foundations of Türksat 6A were laid in 2014 with a cooperation agreement between TÜBİTAK, TÜRKSAT, and the Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Research Center. He added that the Presidency of Defense Industries joined the project as a partner through the payload developed by ASELSAN.
The Space Systems Integration and Test Center (USET) in Kahramankazan, which became operational in 2015, served as the primary facility for all technical processes related to the satellite. Uraloğlu stated that Türksat 6A was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on July 9, 2024, reached its temporary orbit on July 20, and successfully completed testing on October 23, 2024. He also noted that the satellite was placed into its final operational orbit at 42 degrees east on December 28, 2024.
He emphasized that Türksat 6A had a domestic production rate of over 80%, incorporating 84 locally produced components, and that this accomplishment positioned Türkiye among only 11 countries in the world capable of designing and manufacturing their own communications satellites. The satellite, he explained, is expected to provide services such as television broadcasting, emergency communications, and uninterrupted data transmission for at least 15 years, while also acting as a backup for existing satellites.
Uraloğlu underlined the project's achievements in terms of technology transfer, human resource development, and reducing foreign dependency in satellite manufacturing. He described Türksat 6A as having transformed Türkiye into a regional hub for satellite production. He also addressed the project’s economic value, stating that a single communications satellite is worth approximately $250 million.
He highlighted that the launch process was managed directly by TÜRKSAT, underscoring Türkiye’s "independent operational capability in space projects.” Regarding future initiatives, Uraloğlu announced that preparations for the seventh generation of communications satellites had already begun.He stated that these next-generation satellites would be developed using both national capabilities and international collaborations.
Technical Specifications and Development Process of Türksat 6A
The development of the Türksat 6A communications satellite began in 2014 through inter-agency cooperation agreements. The project was financed by the Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Research Center, which operates under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The satellite’s payload was developed by ASELSAN, while the design, integration, and testing activities were carried out at the Space Systems Integration and Test Center (USET) in Kahramankazan, which opened in 2015.
The satellite was launched into space on July 9, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It reached its temporary orbit on July 20, 2024, and successfully completed in-orbit system testing on October 23, 2024. Türksat 6A was placed into its final operational orbit at 42 degrees east longitude on December 28, 2024. Its communications capacity was verified on February 17, 2025, during the first test broadcast, which confirmed the satellite's ability to provide uninterrupted communication services.
Türksat 6A has an approximate mass of 4,250 kilograms and was designed to operate in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers. It is expected to deliver services such as television broadcasting, emergency communications, and infrastructure support for a minimum duration of 15 years.
