Officials have commenced in drawing up legal framework for the draft law regarding the foundation of a Turkish Space Agency, which was included in the action plan of the 64th government as announced by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

According to the information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA), the General Directorate of Aviation and Space Technologies of the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime and Communication started working on the draft law for the foundation of the Turkish Space Agency, which is planned to be submitted to Parliament in the first half of this year.

The draft law will determine where the agency will be established, how it will operate, its budget, personnel status and relations with other institutions and associations. After the draft law passes, the administrative organization of the agency will be established.

The initiation of research and development works for the first communication satellite by the ministry and its contribution to the foundation of the Satellite Systems' Test and Integration Center (USET) indicate that innovative measures are being taken in space technology.

The main objective of the agency will be to protect the rights and interests of Turkey regarding space and orbits, with the agency being in direct contact with various other international space and satellite organizations. In other words, the agency will become Turkey's NASA.

The agency will focus on in-depth space research, exploration research, the development of satellite technologies and launching platform, providing advanced services in agriculture, mining, smart transportation and disaster management which will reap the benefits of space technology.