The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates that a Turkish spacecraft will hopefully make a landing on the surface of the Moon next year.
Speaking at an event in the capital city of Dubai on Wednesday, Erdoğan addressed a crowd of teenagers. He indicated that the two countries could cooperate on a wide range of issues in fields of advanced technologies, including space programs.
Erdoğan also stated that they would make a landing on the Moon on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
“I observe that we have similar visions particularly in fields like space programs and innovational technologies,” he said.
“We had announced last year our national space program that is the outcome of long planning and work. God willing, we will make a rough landing on the Moon with our national and original rocket on the 100th anniversary of the republic, that is next year.”
Erdoğan had earlier mentioned about making a moon landing with a domestic spacecraft in a few addresses to a domestic audience, but it’s been the first time in Dubai that he has made his intention public in an international meeting.
Among other advanced technological objectives of the Turkish political administration is the production of the first Turkish automobile.
After Erdoğan had mentioned a moon landing before, he was criticised and even mocked by many people including opposition representatives, who said that building a spacecraft could take some time and it wasn’t likely that one could be built, tested and sent on a mission within a couple of years.
