From vision to reality: can public funding sustain Türkiye’s ambitious 10-year space program?
摘要
This study examines the financial feasibility of Türkiye’s 10-year national space program, focusing on public funding allocated to the Turkish Space Agency. Although Türkiye is among the world’s 20 largest economies and has launched a national space agency and space program, academic research examining the financial feasibility and fiscal sustainability of its space ambitions remains scarce. The study compiles central government budget and investment program figures by years and evaluates whether the allocated public funds are sufficient to support Turkish Space Agency’s strategic goals. The data indicate that while the Turkish Space Agency can finance the first stage of the space program, no funds have yet been allocated for the second stage, a more ambitious and costly phase. As of the current investment cycle, there is no concrete evidence that sufficient public resources have been committed to enable its full implementation. Additionally, while Türkiye has made recent strides in developing its space policy, currently available data suggest that its public space expenditures remain modest in comparison to major global actors. Accordingly, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Türkiye will play a significant role in shaping global space dynamics in the short run.