Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a written statement regarding Türksat 6A, which was launched into space on July 9, 2024. Minister Uraloğlu noted that the satellite, officially put into service on April 21, 2025, with a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is successfully continuing its mission at the 42 degrees east orbit.
Uraloğlu said, 'Türksat 6A, which we produced with over 80 percent localization, has become an important milestone for our country's space and communications capacity with its wide coverage area.'
84 Domestic and National Satellite Components Produced
Uraloğlu stated that the work at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure for Türksat 6A began on December 15, 2014, and lasted about 10 years. He recalled that the work started with the opening of the Space Systems Integration and Test Center (USET), established at TUSAŞ facilities on May 21, 2015, in cooperation with TÜRKSAT and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Emphasizing the importance they placed on localization and national technology within the Türksat 6A Project, Minister Uraloğlu included the following statements in his announcement: 'For our satellite, which we have achieved over 80 percent localization, 84 domestic and national satellite components were produced. The components produced by TÜBİTAK UZAY, ASELSAN, CTech, and TUSAŞ were tested and integrated into the satellite.'
We launched our satellite, which successfully passed all tests, into space on July 9, 2024, from SpaceX facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. The satellite reached its final mission orbit at 42 degrees east longitude on December 28, 2024, and we conducted its first test broadcast on February 17, 2025. Thus, with Türksat 6A, we have elevated our country to among the 11 countries in the world capable of designing and producing communications satellites.
TÜRKSAT Is Among the World's Satellite Operators with 6 Active Satellites
Uraloğlu noted that Turkey's satellite adventure began with the Türksat 1B satellite in 1994, saying, 'Today, TÜRKSAT is among the world's satellite operators with 6 active satellites positioned at 31, 42, and 50 degrees orbits.'
Operating in geosynchronous orbit, Türksat 6A provides critical services such as television broadcasting and emergency communications over a wide geography. Thanks to Türksat 6A, satellites providing television broadcasting have become backup-capable, and TÜRKSAT's service capacity has also increased,' he said.
Reaches 5.5 Billion Population in 111 Countries
Minister Uraloğlu stated that with Türksat 6A they have extended Turkey's coverage to the farthest points of the world, and continued: 'We have combined our sovereignty in our space homeland with our technology export capability. Today, TÜRKSAT has become not just a satellite operator, but a preferred and trusted technology brand abroad.'
We have included 50 channels of Freesat Lanka, the leading platform of Sri Lanka, along with Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the service coverage of Türksat 6A. Today, we provide broadcasting services to 69 television channels in 10 countries in the South Asia coverage via TÜRKSAT 6A alone. All our TÜRKSAT satellites now reach 5.5 billion people in 111 countries,' he said.
TÜRKSAT Satellites Break Broadcasting Record in 2025
Noting that the total number of TV channels broadcasting via TÜRKSAT satellites has reached 532, the highest level in 10 years, Uraloğlu said, 'The South Asia expansion achieved with the commissioning of the Türksat 6A satellite has propelled TÜRKSAT's growth momentum in the global broadcasting market to a historic record, with the number of channels broadcasting via TÜRKSAT satellites increasing by 20 percent in just one year. The increase in the number of foreign-based channels has reached a record 50 percent over five years,' he said. Uraloğlu also noted that the number of foreign-origin channels, which was 114 at the end of 2020, rose to 171 by the end of 2025, and with this increase, Turkey's satellite services export volume has also reached a record level.
Next: Türksat 7A
Uraloğlu recalled that within the scope of TÜRKSAT's goal of increasing its communication capacity in space, a protocol covering financial support for Türksat 7A was signed between TÜRKSAT and the Transport, Maritime and Communication Research Center Presidency of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on June 19, 2025.
Uraloğlu stated that the protocol determined the framework of the support to be provided by the Ministry for the construction process of Türksat 7A. After being commissioned, it will continue its existence as a strong symbol of our country's independence in space,' he said.
