Türkiye Joins NASA’s Artemis Accords as 71st Signatory

Türkiye officially becomes the 71st member of the Artemis Accords, joining the international framework for peaceful and cooperative exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond. The agreement was signed by the Minister for Industry and Technology of Türkiye, Mehmet Fatih Kacır in NASA headquarters in Washington DC on August 31, 2026. This was announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomingTürkiye to the Artemis Accords. The agreement came after the increasing interest of Türkiye in space exploration including the expansion of its national space program and preparations for the first moon mission.

What are the Artemis Accords?

The Artemis Accords are international agreements signed between NASA and the US State Department along with seven founding countries in 2020. The agreements outline the principles for international cooperation in space exploration.

Some of the principles include,

• Peaceful exploration
• Transparency
• Scientific data sharing
• Astronaut assistance and protection
• Historically significant sites and artefacts on the Moon.

Türkiye Joins As 71st Party To The Artemis Accords

After the signing of the treaty, Türkiye became the 71st party to the Artemis Accords.

Mehmet Fatih Kacır explained that Türkiye is still interested in developing international space cooperation through peaceful means. Kacır also noted that the collaboration between Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and NASA will help increase global scientific research.

The treaty makes Türkiye one of the many countries joining to support common principles of future space exploration.

Türkiye’s Rising Space Program

The country made the move amid continuing development of its capacity in space science and exploration.

Alper Gezeravći was chosen to become the first astronaut of Türkiye. In 2024, he made the trip to the International Space Station and conducted research together with NASA astronauts. Tuva Atasever, who is another Turkish astronaut, has already flown to space on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity on Virgin Galactic 07 mission.

The country is also preparing its first lunar mission, AYAP-1.

About Artemis Accords

The Artemis Accords is a non-binding agreement initiated in 2020 to develop principles to govern the civil exploration and utilization of outer space.

This initiative aims to create common standards for responsible exploration and better governance of peaceful activities in outer space.

This agreement was developed jointly between NASA, U.S. Department of State, and seven countries as founders: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. India is also one of the signatories of the Artemis Accords.

Main Principles of Artemis Accords

Principles includes,

• Peaceful Exploration – The exploration and activities should be carried out in pursuit of peaceful purposes.
• Transparency – The transparency should be maintained in space activities; the scientific information and data can be made publicly available if necessary.
• Interoperability – The space systems should be designed to be interoperable when possible to increase safety and sustainability.
• Emergency Assistance – Assistance should be provided in case of emergency or distress situations faced by astronauts or space personnel.
• Protection of Space Heritage – The historic sites and artifacts in outer space should be protected and preserved.
• Use of Space Resources – The extraction and use of the space resources should