Tests of Türksat-6A mostly completed: Minister

ANKARA

The research teams have largely completed tests of Türksat-6A, Türkiye’s first domestically produced communication satellite, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır has announced.

"We have successfully completed the tests of Türkiye’s first domestic communication satellite, Türksat-6A. We aim to launch the satellite in the coming months," Kacır stated during his speech at the plan and budget commission of the parliament in the capital Ankara on Nov. 7.

Providing information regarding delivery figures of Türkiye’s first indigenous electric car, the minister disclosed that the number of Togg vehicles on roads has reached 9,000 so far, adding that they plan to complete the delivery of 20,000 vehicles by the end of the year. He added that there have been over 177,000 requests for the vehicle.

"To maintain the competitiveness of our automotive industry in electric vehicles, we need to increase our battery production capacity in the country. We have ensured the installation of fast charging stations in all cities, with a total of 10,100 public charging connections, including 2,800 fast chargers, across all 81 cities. We are leading in the number of fast charging stations per electric vehicle in Europe."

Kacır also highlighted that they recently launched Türkiye’s first domestic and national high-resolution imaging satellite, İMECE, into space, citing that with this satellite, they can capture images from anywhere in the world without any restrictions, from electro-optical cameras to communication equipment and from flight computers to software.

Touching upon national air defense systems, Kacır mentioned that the national air defense missiles, Gökdoğan and Bozdağon, as well as Kuzgun, a fresh member of the new generation missile family, which can be launched from UAVs and unmanned naval platforms, will enter the inventory of the Turkish army in 2024.

"The game-changing factor in the battlefield is our domestically developed technologies in electronic warfare and support systems, providing strategic and tactical engagement advantages to our country."

Kacır also mentioned their efforts in reaching every segment of society through science and community projects. "This year, we opened six science centers, bringing the total number of science centers to 19 in the country. We hosted 1.33 million visitors in these science centers, and 550,000 students participated in science workshops."