SpaceX’s Rebecca Hunter and Michael Nicolls hold talks with Erdoğan in Antalya

Two senior SpaceX executives met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the opening of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, with two Cabinet ministers and SAHA Istanbul’s chairman also present.

Ally Daily Editorial DeskOctober 05, 2026, 06:33 PMUpdated: October 06, 2026, 10:11 AM

SpaceX’s Rebecca Hunter and Michael Nicolls hold talks with Erdoğan in Antalya

Two senior executives from SpaceX, Rebecca Hunter and Michael Nicolls, sat down with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Antalya after the opening ceremony of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC).

President Erdoğan with SpaceX executives Michael Nicolls (left) and Rebecca Hunter

Joining them were Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the minister of transport and infrastructure, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, the minister of industry and technology, and Haluk Bayraktar, who chairs SAHA Istanbul. What was discussed was not made public.

Global space community in Antalya

Night launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (archive)

Organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) at Antalya’s NEST Congress Center, the congress has drawn space agency chiefs, scientists, astronauts and people from the space industry worldwide.

A Falcon 9 first stage on an ocean landing platform (archive)

Speaking at the opening, the Turkish president said Türkiye was not allowing itself to lag in the space race, and gave an update on the Türksat 6A satellite and the country’s Moon Research Program.

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