Erdogan unveils Turkey's first astronaut on election trail

Turkey’s first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on April 29.

Turkey’s first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on April 29.

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Air Force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defense contractor Roketsan.

Mr. Erdogan made the announcement at the Teknofest aviation and space fair in Istanbul, the president's first public appearance since falling ill during a TV interview on April 25. He appeared alongside Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, and Libya's interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

“Our friend, who will go on Turkey’s first manned space mission, will stay on the International Space Station for 14 days,” Mr. Erdogan said. “Our astronaut will perform 13 different experiments prepared by our country’s esteemed universities and research institutions during this mission.”

Mr. Erdogan described Mr. Gezeravci as a “heroic Turkish pilot who has achieved significant success in our Air Force Command.”

The Turkish Space Agency website describes Mr. Gezeravci as a 21-year air force veteran and F-16 pilot who attended the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology.