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Elon Musk’s Starlink applies for Turkey licence  

By Pramod Kumar
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently met President Erdogan in New York while the Turkish leader was visiting the UN Reuters
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently met President Erdogan in New York while the Turkish leader was visiting the UN

SpaceX’s satellite internet venture Starlink has applied for a licence in Turkey after a meeting in the US between its founder Elon Musk and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Ömer Fatih Sayan, Turkey’s deputy transport and infrastructure minister, confirmed that the application has been filed.

“Starlink, which offers low Earth orbit satellite services, expressed their desire to operate in our country,” reported the Daily Sabah newspaper, quoting Sayan’s post on X (formerly Twitter, and also owned by Musk).

“In response to their request, we conducted a productive meeting today with SpaceX representatives at the Information and Communication Technologies Authority,” he said.

Erdoğan and Musk have held discussions in Turkey and on the sidelines of international forums.

During their latest meeting, Musk said SpaceX wanted to work with Turkish authorities to obtain the Starlink licence.

SpaceX has been working with Turkey’s space industry, launching some of its communication satellites.

President Erdoğan has also invited Musk to establish a Tesla factory in Turkey.

“We discussed with Musk both Tesla’s investment in Turkey and taking joint steps in space studies. I hope they will conduct a joint study with our friends,” the president said. 

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