Turkish Science Council Sets Up Space Research Programme

Text of report by Turkish commercial NTV television on 11 March

[Presenter] In its yesterday’s meeting, the High Council for Science and Technology determined the national space research targets for 2005-14. Projects aimed at training astronauts in Turkey will be put into effect from 2008.

[Reporter] Space research in Turkey formed an important agenda item of yesterday’s meeting of the High Council for Science and Technology. The national space research programme for 2005-14 was submitted to the meeting. The research budget for the next 10 years was fixed at YTL [New Turkish Lira] 1.13bn.

The meeting also reached the conclusion that it is enormously important for the national security for Turkey to attain a structure that would control its own space systems.

Under the programme, a national satellite will be sent into space in 2014 to study either a planet or space phenomena. In 2008, astronaut training programmes will be put into effect.