Meet not the first Turkish but Türkiye’s first astronout: Alper Gezeravci

Some immediately pointed out that some Turkish originated persons already in the Soviet era:

No. 3rd human who reached to the space was Turkic. He passed away by holding Chuvash Republic citizenship. During his life, he was proud of his Turkic heritage. https://t.co/ELIWkJvS0I pic.twitter.com/gquVUNk2zN

— Gökhan Cindemir (@gcindemir) January 17, 2024

Turkey’s first astronaut is Alper Gezeravci, a 43-year-old fighter pilot and colonel in Turkey’s air force[1][2]. He is due to take off on Wednesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a two-week mission to the International Space Station (ISS)[2]. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has displayed a keen interest in the mission, which comes against the backdrop of a raging economic crisis and signs of Turkey’s involvement in the wars in Gaza and Ukraine[1]. Erdogan presented Gezeravci to the Turkish public ahead of his re-election last year, calling the 21-year air force veteran a “heroic Turkish pilot”[1]. Gezeravci is aware of the symbolic importance of his mission, stating that he is ready to “take the dreams of the Turkish people into the depths of space”[2].

Citations:
[1] https://www.tbsnews.net/world/turkeys-first-astronaut-brandishes-erdogans-ambitions-776406
[2] https://www.france24.com/en/technology/20240117-first-turkish-astronaut-iss-mission-erdogan-space-ambitions
[3] https://medyascope.tv/2024/01/17/turkeys-first-astronaut-brandishes-erdogans-ambitions/
[4] https://www.kompas.id/baca/english/2024/01/17/en-gezeravci-astronot-pertama-turki-bawa-ambisi-erdogan-ke-luar-angkasa?open_from=English_Page
[5] https://www.kibrispostasi.com/c140-DAILY_NEWS/n503692-turkeys-first-astronaut-alper-gezeravci-set-to-space-travel