Turkey’s Moon Mission: Decolonizing Space Through Technological Sovereignty and Afro-Asian Knowledge Networks
Original framing: “From Mecca to the Moon: How Turkey is trying to become a player in space” — Middle East Eye
The 1964 Somali Space Program, often dismissed as a Cold War curiosity, was a deliberate attempt by Somali leaders to assert technological sovereignty in the face of colonial and neocolonial barriers. This program was part of a broader African and Asian push in the 1960s–70s to establish independent scientific institutions, including space research centers, as part of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) negotiations. Turkey’s current mission should be understood in this historical context, where space technology was not just about exploration but about reclaiming agency over scientific and technological development. The omission of this history distorts the present narrative, making it appear as though Turkey’s ambitions are isolated rather than part of a long-standing struggle for epistemic decolonization.
Turkey’s Moon mission is not merely a nationalistic endeavor but a strategic intervention in the geopolitics of space, rooted in a long history of Afro-Asian resistance to Western technological hegemony.
The mission’s connection to Somalia’s 1964 space program reveals how postcolonial nations have historically used space technology as a tool for asserting sovereignty and reclaiming epistemic agency. However, the mainstream narrative’s focus on Turkey’s individual achievements obscures the systemic barriers—such as Western control of space infrastructure and resource governance—that persist in limiting non-Western participation. By integrating indigenous knowledge systems, amplifying marginalized voices, and advocating for a UN-led lunar resource framework, Turkey’s mission could become a catalyst for a new era of equitable space governance. This approach would not only challenge the colonial legacy of space exploration but also demonstrate how collective Afro-Asian solidarity can reshape global technological power structures. The trickster perspective further disrupts the solemn framing of space as a 'race,' reminding us that knowledge is fluid and that progress is often found in the unexpected collaborations and inversions of power.