Turkey has completed feasibility studies and design work for a spaceport it plans to build in Somalia and has begun the first phase of construction, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said on Tuesday.
Kacır made his announcement after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned the plan during a joint press conference in İstanbul with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Kacır told the state-run Anadolu news agency that the spaceport is being built on land allocated to Turkey under a cooperation agreement between the two countries. He said feasibility studies found Somalia to be the most suitable option because of its location near the equator, which can reduce fuel needs and increase payload capacity for some launches.
“Countries located in equatorial regions have technical advantages for access to space,” Kacır said. He added that the first phase of construction had begun.
The project is being coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology with support from the Turkish Space Agency and other institutions under Turkey’s National Space Program, Kacır said.
The planned site reportedly covers about 900 square kilometers along Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast and could serve both as a commercial satellite launch site and a facility for testing long-range ballistic missiles. Reports have also cited limits at Turkey’s existing test site near Sinop on the Black Sea coast for tests beyond about 700 kilometers.
Kacır said Somalia’s coastal geography, weather conditions and low air and sea traffic could make launches safer. He also said Turkey expects the project to generate revenue through commercial satellite launch services and to contribute to Somalia’s development.
Turkey has expanded its political, economic and security role in Somalia over the past decade. Ankara and Mogadishu signed a defense and economic cooperation framework agreement in February 2024.