Airbus Eyes Deeper Space Ties With Türkiye Ahead of IAC 2026

(MENAFN) Airbus Defense and Space is looking to deepen its partnership with Türkiye, aiming to tap into the country's growing satellite know-how while helping accelerate its domestic space capabilities.

Carlo Mirra, sales director of Airbus' corporate business growth and development unit, told Anadolu that the company is closely tracking Türkiye's expanding focus and rising industrial capacity in the space sector.

Mirra said the relationship between the aerospace giant and Türkiye could grow further, either through direct industrial partnerships or intergovernmental agreements involving Türkiye, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission, or Airbus' founding member states.

The comments come as Türkiye prepares to host the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in the southwestern city of Antalya, an event coordinated by the Industry and Technology Ministry and the Turkish Space Agency, with Anadolu serving as the global communications partner.

Mirra said he was genuinely looking forward to the gathering, noting it will be his first visit to Antalya.

He brings decades of institutional history to the event: Mirra said he began working with the IAC and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) back in 1989, and today chairs the federation's industrial relations committee while also overseeing ESA business relations at Airbus.

"I'm dealing primarily with European business, although I have a past in international business, especially in the US; nevertheless, we are observing here the rapid growth of the political attention and also industrial capacity in Türkiye, and as you know, our company in particular has been present in Türkiye for quite a while," he said.

"The release of the National Space Program, the space plan, the flight of the astronauts, the ambition to have independent access to space are all important messages that the current political administration in Türkiye are giving in order to let the local industry develop and also emerge in the international environment," he added.

Mirra described the IAC as a launchpad for that ambition, pointing out that Turkish institutions have already submitted more than 1,800 abstracts for the technical conference.

"This is providing a direct channel for Turkish researchers and industries also to present their technologies, the progress of their studies, to a truly international environment – from green propulsion to small satellite architectures, I think that this will be a very interesting confrontation for all of them," he said.

He added that the congress will bring together both established firms and startups with international prime contractors and investors.

Mirra stressed that building leadership in "space diplomacy" is essential, and said hosting IAC 2026 is itself a signal of Türkiye's credibility on the global stage.

"Türkiye is really committed to play a major role in this area, and this is proven also by the organization and investment into these events, and I think that this is providing, in terms of international cooperation, in terms of space sustainability and security, a very strong message in order to reinforce existing relationships and create new ones," he said.

Demographics give Türkiye an edge, Mirra says
Mirra pointed to Türkiye's population of 85 million, with an average age of 33, as a stark contrast to Europe's aging workforce.

"This is a phenomenal potential to educate the space engineers and the scientists of the next decade – you have the resources (and) the manpower to develop this capacity," he said.

"Europe is aging fast, we have ambitions in terms of programs, but the difficulty is in finding and educating qualified engineers," he added.

He said Türkiye's ability to train and motivate skilled professionals will be central to achieving its long-term economic and technological goals.

"And I'm sure that a conference like the IAC will have a very positive effect, especially with students and young generations," he added.

Mirra noted that Airbus maintains a permanent office in Ankara, where representatives work to advance partnership-driven initiatives, and confirmed that talks are ongoing with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK).

"I observe three to four areas – there are some where the cooperation may be more direct and involved, certainly in lunar exploration," he said, referring to discussions between Airbus and TUBITAK spanning lunar exploration, human spaceflight, and satellite communications.

He also pointed to the Turksat satellite program as an area where Airbus has already played a significant role in building capacity — and one it hopes to expand.

"That is certainly an area where we would like to maintain the relationship and possibly also broaden that, either as a sort of industrial cooperation, but also under a government-to-government partnership – you know, if there is a Turkish government, for example, making a deal with the European Commission or with ESA or with some of the mother countries of Airbus, namely France, Germany, Spain, and UK, that is certainly something where we have an interest, so that is a development that we are observing with a lot of attention," he added.

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