Antalya Declaration: 32 Officials From 21 Nations Back Space Peace
Thirty-two participants from 21 countries adopted the Antalya Declaration, the first text ever to win such backing at the MMoP.
“We are particularly pleased that 32 distinguished MMoP participants from 21 countries, consisting of ministers, parliamentarians and space agency heads, have accepted and endorsed this declaration,” Kacir said.
Kacir said the document reaffirms the vital role of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in advancing global cooperation. He urged countries and international organizations that have not yet signed on to adopt it.
Delegations from 38 countries attended the meeting, including ministers, lawmakers, parliamentary delegations, space agency heads and senior officials from international organizations. Talks covered the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, space missions, space law, bringing developing countries into the global space ecosystem and building a sustainable space economy.
Türkiye is hosting the 75th IAC in Antalya from Oct. 5-9. The IAF organizes the annual congress in coordination with Türkiye's Ministry of Industry and Technology, with the Turkish Space Agency and SAHA Istanbul as co-hosts. Anadolu is the event's global communications partner.
A first for ministers, lawmakers and space agencies
Kacir told the meeting that the declaration is the first in the IAC MMoP's history to unite ministers, lawmakers and space agency representatives behind a shared commitment to peace, responsibility and cooperation in space.
Türkiye, host of IAC 2026, initiated the Antalya Declaration for Space for Peace in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vision of advancing peace through dialogue and international cooperation, Kacir said.
“The text was developed through close consultations with the IAF and our international partners. Our goal is to build a common international framework for a peaceful, sustainable and responsible approach to space,” he said.
He said the declaration embodies the “Spirit of Antalya,” marked by openness, mutual respect and constructive engagement.
Kacir also stressed how central space-based capabilities have become to daily life, economic activity and disaster management.
“Progress in space is meaningful only when it produces tangible benefits for people on Earth,” he said. “The question before us is not only how far we can advance technologically, but how effectively we can turn these capabilities into greater security, resilience and prosperity for our societies.”
Private capital now drives the space boom
Public funding no longer powers the global space sector alone, Kacir said, with private companies and startups increasingly leading its growth.
“The global space economy reached a record $686 billion in 2025,” he said, noting that roughly four-fifths of that value came from commercial activity.
Cheaper launches, smaller satellites and rising private investment have lowered the barriers to entry, he said, opening a field once dominated by a handful of players.
“However, innovation does not flourish on its own,” Kacir said, calling for an ecosystem backed by public institutions, long-term financing and predictable regulations.
He said Türkiye has placed entrepreneurship and innovation at the center of its technology policy.
“Our BİGG program is Türkiye’s largest public support mechanism for technology startups at the seed and pre-seed stages,” he said. “We have taken steps that will bring more than $750 million in additional resources to our venture capital ecosystem.”
More than 300 companies already operate in space technologies in Türkiye's technoparks alone, he said. The government has also begun work on a dedicated space technopark in the capital, Ankara.
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