Turkey hails its first astronaut who returned from a 3-week mission to International Space Station

Turkey’s first astronaut returned home to a hero’s welcome Monday, portrayed as a symbol of the country’s advances in technology and aerospace. Alper Gezeravci was greeted by bouquet-laden children at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport as he returned from a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has closely followed Gezeravci’s mission, declaring it a “new symbol of a growing, stronger and assertive Turkey,” after the country marked its centenary last year.