Turkey turns down Musk's offer to send Starlink after deadly earthquake

World+Biz

TBS Report
07 February, 2023, 11:00 am
Last modified: 07 February, 2023, 11:07 am
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Israeli-owned Amos-17 commercial communications satellite, lifts off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral/ Reuters

Turkey has rejected Elon Musk's offer to activate Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, in the country after it was hit by a deadly earthquake, Bloomberg reported Monday.

"Starlink is not approved by Turkish government yet," Musk tweeted late Sunday. "SpaceX can send as soon as approved."

A senior Turkish official, who did not want to be named, thanked the multi-billionaire for the proposal but said Turkey had enough satellite capacity. The country has base stations working with batteries though electricity cannot be provided to some areas, the person said, reports Bloomberg.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep has killed hundreds of people in Syria and Turkey and injured thousands more. It is the most powerful earthquake to hit the country since 1939.

SpaceX is due to launch Turkey's first communication satellite, Turksat 6A, into orbit in the first quarter this year. 

Related Topics

Starlink / Elon Musk / Turkey Earthquake

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