R&D budget surges 107-fold over past decade

ANKARA

Türkiye’s budget allocations for R&D for space exploration activities rise from 13.2 billion Turkish Liras to 309 billion liras in 10 years.

Türkiye’s budget allocations for research and development have risen sharply over the past decade, with spending on space exploration and utilization recording the fastest growth.

Central government budget allocations and expenditures for R&D increased from 13.2 billion lira in 2017 to a record 308.6 billion lira in 2026, representing a 23-fold increase over the period, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

The most notable growth was seen in the space exploration and utilization category. Funding for the sector rose from 30.5 million lira in 2017 to more than 3.2 billion liras in 2026, marking a 107-fold increase.

The expansion was supported by initiatives under Türkiye’s National Space Program, including the country’s first crewed space science mission and the development of the domestically produced Türksat 6A communications satellite.

R&D funding for agriculture climbed to 14.5 billion lira in 2026 from 272.4 million lira in 2017, a 53-fold increase.

Meanwhile, allocations for industrial production and technology rose from 1 billion lira to 27.6 billion lira over the same period. Investments aimed at industrial digitalization and emerging technologies, including green hydrogen, contributed to a roughly 27-fold increase in sector funding.

R&D spending on defense increased to 12.3 billion liras in 2026 from 1.8 billion lira in 2017, as Türkiye continued to support the development of its domestic defense industry.