Erdoğan: We will be at the front of the space race

Photo: : Mustafa Kamacı –AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey's President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that "Turkey will be at the front of the space race."

Erdoğan spoke today (June 2) at the 53rd TÜBİTAK High School Students Research Projects Award Ceremony held at Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center, Ankara.

President previously had announced that a person from Turkey will be sent into space as part of the National Space Program.

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Erdoğan said the following in his speech today:

"Hopefully one or two of you will go to space? Yes, you will. If they have their Neil Armstrong, we have Ahmet, Ayşe, and Fatma."

"We previously had announced that a person from Turkey will be sent into space. The website launched to receive applications has been viewed 35 million times and 35.000 people have already registered so far."

Opposition İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener commented yesterday (June 1) about the government's National Space Program:

"Exchange rate, inflation, food prices went into space. Passed Mars, about to reach Jupiter. You announce the election date and see if the people are sending you to space or to another place."

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Erdoğan referring to Akşener, said:

"We come across those who belittle our space mission, even some say, 'Everything is fine, is it time for space?' Their vision is not enough. They can't even send a paper airplane into the sky."

(AS/TB)