The first Turkish astronaut to go to the ISS will be Alper Gezeravci, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced this during the TEKNOFEST technology forum, which is taking place in Istanbul, reported the “MIR 24” portal.
Alper Gezeravci is a Turkish Air Force pilot with extensive experience. It is assumed that his flight into space will be this year. Tuva Dzhihangir, an engineer in the field of launch vehicle development at Roketsan, has been appointed as Gezeravdzhi's understudy.
The launch of Türkiye’s national space program was announced in 2021. Within its framework, it is planned to train the first astronauts in the history of Türkiye and launch its own rocket to the moon. The work of astronauts involves research on the Moon and low Earth orbit and the development of satellite systems of international level.