Türksat A.Ş., Türkiye’s leading organization in satellite communications, cable broadcasting, and digital transformation, met with technology enthusiasts at TEKNOFEST 2025, held this year at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.
Türksat A.Ş. was represented at the highest level at TEKNOFEST Istanbul. Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Kemal Yüksek, General Manager Ahmet Hamdi Atalay, e-Devlet Deputy General Manager Orhan Koca, Satellite Services Deputy General Manager Dr. Selman Demirel, Cable Services Deputy General Manager İrfan Yıldız, and Corporate Services Deputy General Manager Mehmet Sarı took their places among the participants of the festival. Throughout the festival, Türksat received full marks with its innovative projects and youth-focused activities. At the festival, Türksat showcased Türkiye’s most up-to-date satellite and national antenna family; children’s activities, a virtual reality (VR) space and satellite tour, R&D products, and a giant Türksat 4B Satellite model attracted significant interest from visitors. In addition, locally developed and national model satellites and rockets created by the finalists of the Türksat Model Satellite Competition were exhibited within the festival. Thousands of people visited the Türksat stand during the event.
– Atalay: “The Model Satellite Competition Contributes to Engineering.”
Türksat A.Ş. General Manager Ahmet Hamdi Atalay stated in his speech at TEKNOFEST Istanbul that the Türksat Model Satellite Competition, organized by Türksat within the scope of Teknofest, increases young people’s interest in satellite and space technologies. Atalay said, “Our Model Satellite Competition was organized for the 10th time this year. This competition, in which university students experience real satellite development, provides significant contributions to our country’s future engineering power.”
Atalay also reminded that work continues for the Türksat 7A satellite, stating: “In the Türksat 7A project, we plan to collect manufacturer proposals by the end of this year. We aim to launch the project in the first quarter of next year. 7A will replace Türksat 3A, which is near the end of its lifespan, and will be launched in 2029.” Mentioning aviation activities as well, Atalay said that internet service over Türksat satellites will be provided on AJet aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, and that discussions continue for global coverage for Turkish Airlines. Providing information about the new data center to be established in Gölbaşı, Ankara, Atalay stated that the center will offer a qualified infrastructure that is highly secure, AI-supported, and capable of storing critical public data.
– Awards Presented in the Model Satellite Competition
At the ceremony held at TEKNOFEST Istanbul, the winners of the Türksat Model Satellite Competition received their awards. The champion of Category-1, the Harezmi DGM Team; the champion of Category-2, the TAUSAT Team; and the champion of Category-3, the MERGEN Team received their awards from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the ceremony attended by Türksat General Manager Atalay. The second and third place awards were presented by T3 Foundation Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar. In Category-2, the AzST Team from Azerbaijan, which ranked second, and the Elektrik AR-GE Team, which ranked third, received their awards at a ceremony attended by Türksat Deputy General Manager Dr. Selman Demirel. In Category-3, the AzST-K3 Team from Azerbaijan, which came second, and the NazarX Team, which took third place, also received their awards from T3 Foundation Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar. The winning teams received 250,000 TL for first place, 200,000 TL for second place and 150,000 TL for third place.