Alper Gezeravcı

Alper Gezeravcı (born 2 December 1979) is a military pilot and the first Turkish astronaut. He flew to International Space Station by taking part in a special space flight on 18 January 2024 with the Axiom Mission 3 (or Ax-3) mission.

Early life
He was born in Silifke, Mersin, to a family of Yörük descent.

Colonel Pilot Alper Gezeravcı was among the soldiers expelled from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2012 as part of the investigation into the FETÖ's espionage conspiracy in Izmir. He was acquitted and cleared in 2020, subsequently returning to the TSK.

Career
His appointment was announced in late April 2023 by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Gezeravcı spent 21 days in space as part of the Axiom Space-3 mission in January-February 2024. He flew with three other international astronauts from the Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, launched by the Falcon 9 rocket. Gezeravcı brought along the Turkish flag, family photos, and some items related to Yörük culture.

Alper Gezeravcı's first words in space, with a reference to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, were "The future is in the skies."

He studied electronic engineering at the Turkish Air Force Academy and also studied at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. He is a pilot in the Turkish Air Force, with 21 years of experience; he flies F-16s.