Turkey's first astronaut brandishes Erdogan's ambitions

Istanbul (AFP) Jan 17, 2024

When Turkey's first astronaut blasts off for the International Space Station (ISS) this week, he will embody his country's pride and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's outsized geopolitical ambitions. Alper Gezeravci, a 43-year-old fighter pilot and colonel in Turkey's air force, is due to take off on Wednesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a two-week mission.