Turkey’s 2026 Budget Shock: Space Gets Less, Religion Gets More

Turkey’s 2026 draft budget offers a revealing look into the government’s investment priorities, particularly through the allocations made to the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı) and the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). The numbers show that funding for religious services and related infrastructure continues to rise faster than Turkey’s space program, underscoring a widening gap between religious institutional investment and scientific or technological development.

According to the official budget tables, Diyanet receives an investment allocation of 2.122 billion TL in 2026, while the Turkish Space Agency receives 1.487 billion TL. The distribution signals a consistent pattern: Diyanet’s investment budget will continue growing in the coming years, while the Space Agency sees only modest increases.

Diyanet Receives Over 2.1 Billion TL in Investment Funding

The 2026 proposal allocates 2.122 billion TL in investment spending for Diyanet. Notably, 1.6 billion TL of this amount is categorized under “Education–Culture”, reflecting the institution’s expanding infrastructure, including training facilities, religious education facilities, cultural programs, and service-centered construction projects.

Budget projections also outline the institution’s trajectory for the following years. Investment allocations for Diyanet are expected to rise to:

• 2.6 billion TL in 2027

• 2.9 billion TL in 2028

These increases highlight an ongoing trend of substantial investment growth in religious services, surpassing many other public institutions and ministries in the pace of investment expansion.

Turkish Space Agency: More Modest Growth in Allocations

In contrast, the Turkish Space Agency, which oversees the country’s national space program—including high-profile missions such as the planned “hard landing on the Moon” and “soft landing on the Moon”—receives noticeably lower investment funding.

For 2026, the draft budget allocates 1.487 billion 605 thousand TL to the agency, significantly below Diyanet’s allocation. The projections for the coming years show incremental increases:

• 1.5 billion TL in 2027

• 1.7 billion TL in 2028

These amounts suggest that while the Space Agency maintains a strategic role within Turkey’s long-term ambitions, it is not receiving the same scale of investment growth as other major public institutions.

A Broader Debate on National Priorities

The contrasting budget figures have reignited discussions about the balance between religious institutional spending and scientific advancement. Analysts note that while Diyanet’s mission includes broad social, educational and cultural services, the Space Agency is positioned at the center of Turkey’s long-term technological competitiveness and international prestige.

Investment trends show:

• Diyanet’s annual investment growth rate is significantly higher than TUA’s.

• By 2028, Diyanet’s investment allocation will be nearly double that of the Space Agency.

• The division raises questions about the alignment of budget priorities with innovation, research and future-oriented development goals.

Some economists point out that investment imbalances may affect Turkey’s capacity to expand its scientific workforce, accelerate aerospace research, and establish a more substantial presence in global space initiatives.

Increasing Budget Visibility and Public Scrutiny

Budget allocations for Diyanet have long been a source of political and social debate, particularly as the institution’s overall budget surpasses that of several ministries. The 2026 proposal continues that trend, with investment spending levels that exceed the combined allocations of multiple ministerial departments.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Space Agency—despite its symbolic importance and the strategic value of aerospace development—continues to operate with comparatively constrained investment resources.

A Forward-Looking Perspective

As Turkey advances into the second half of the decade, the investment divide between religious services and scientific development will remain a topic of policy scrutiny. With global competition intensifying in areas such as satellite technology, space exploration and aerospace engineering, funding decisions made in the coming fiscal years could shape the country’s long-term technological standing.

The 2026–2028 investment plan suggests that Turkey is opting for steady—but not aggressive—support for its space ambitions, while continuing to expand religious service infrastructures at a faster pace. Whether this balance will meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technological world remains an open question.