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Akbar Novruz

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned against deploying weapons in outer space, weeks after the United States publicly acknowledged for the first time that it is operating weapons in Earth’s orbit.

Speaking at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Erdogan argued that space should remain a domain for peaceful activity and scientific exploration rather than become another arena for military confrontation.

“Sending weapons to space, or turning space into a ground for an arms race, will be totally wrong,” Erdogan said.

“It will be a direct threat to the joint future for humanity, and I see that this race is becoming widespread - which, of course, we do not welcome,” he added.

The remarks come amid growing international attention to the militarization of space and follow an unusually explicit disclosure by Washington concerning its own orbital capabilities.

In September, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the United States had deployed what he described as “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”

It marked the first public acknowledgement by a senior US official that the country is operating weapons in orbit. US Space Force chief Gen. Douglas Schiess subsequently confirmed that personnel operate on-orbit weapons intended to defend US forces against space-enabled attacks.

Washington has not revealed the number, design or precise capabilities of the systems, nor whether they are intended to act against objects in orbit, targets on Earth, or both. Analysts have suggested that possible capabilities could include non-kinetic systems such as electronic jammers, although the Pentagon has not confirmed their nature.

The US disclosure has added a new dimension to an increasingly competitive military environment in space, with Washington pointing to counterspace capabilities being developed or operated by China and Russia as a justification for strengthening its own capabilities.

The legal framework governing military activity in orbit does not impose a blanket prohibition on all weapons in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but does not explicitly ban all conventional weapons, leaving significant ambiguity as military technology has advanced.

Erdogan's comments place Türkiye, a NATO member and US ally, publicly among those calling for restraint as military competition increasingly extends beyond Earth.

His warning also comes as governments around the world devote greater attention to protecting satellites and other orbital infrastructure that have become increasingly important for communications, navigation, intelligence and military operations.