WASHINGTON

Türkiye is negotiating the regulatory and security conditions for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems to operate in the country with firms like SpaceX and Amazon, the Turkish deputy transport and infrastructure minister told Anadolu.

Omer Fatih Sayan, speaking on the sidelines of this week's three-day SATShow expo 2026 ​​​​​​​held in Washington, DC, stated that Türkiye’s efforts in LEO satellites led to meetings with SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper during the event.

“We informed the firms about the types of regulations they have to comply with in Türkiye and our security requirements,” he said, adding that they were well within the possibility of presenting a roadmap if they agree to comply.

Sayan said top Turkish firms such as Turksat, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, and Profen are exhibiting their products at the event under the Turkish Pavilion, while firms like Fergani Space and CTech are also taking part to represent their domestic satellite ecosystems.

He noted that Turksat has made two deals at the event so far with Anuvu and Viasat for aviation sector services, as the country’s sole satellite operator’s Turksat 6A domestic satellite enabled significant advancements for the firm in the field.

“We have partnership deals in many satellite projects, and the production of new projects is focused on boosting domestic and national capabilities,” he said. “We’re planning the infrastructure for these projects with global manufacturers and Turkish firms within the domestic satellite ecosystem.”

Sayan said Türkiye began transitioning to 5G in mobile communications after an auction was held at the end of last year and Ankara began collecting a total of $3.5 billion in frequency fees.

He said the first collection began on Jan. 1 and that 5G will be officially launched nationwide on April 1.

He added that data speeds will surge and latency will decrease with 5G, while enhancing satellite capacity, which has been a key topic at the event and discussions domestic firms are having in the area.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul