Atatürk Airport and aviation-space industries at the center of political debate in Turkey

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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the main opposition alliance and the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) announced that he is planning to convert the Atatürk airport into an aviation and space industries center, if they come to power in the May 14 elections.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leading rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the presidency in the dual May 14 elections, is using videos taken in his house as a main tool in his election campaign. 

In his video posted yesterday evening (April 27) which he named "the Atatürk Airport," he announced what his plans and dreams were for this airport closed completely to passenger flights in 2019, and to cargo flights in 2022 after the opening of the new İstanbul Airport.

Atatürk Havalimanı. pic.twitter.com/DxBEesbRX1

— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) April 27, 2023

“Dynamo of aviation and space industries”

In his video posted last night in a tweet which has been viewed 20 million times in 18 hours, Kılıçdaroğlu adressed mainly the young people.

He said, "Yeşilköy, the location of the Atatürk airport, is the place where our air forces were born and developed. These tactless, impertinent people! They have broken the runways here. And they are using the other runways as a private airport for themselves only. So great, isn't it? Kick out the people, and seize the airport for yourself. Let me now come to the good news that will change this sad story totally. 

"Immediately after we come to power, we will make the Atatürk Airport a center of aviation and space studies. This center, which will have the name of Atatürk who taught us that the future is in the skies, will be the dynamo of our aviation and space industries." 

"We will develop our own space shuttles"

Kılıçdaroğlu later said, "So, who will we work with, in order to do this? This is an important question and it needs to be directed. We will establish and develop this center together with Eren Özmen and Fatih Özmen, the owners of the Sierra Nevada (SNC) company in the USA. Please you the young people, google these names. And see which jewels we have. 

"Those interested in space studies will know. SNC run by the Özmen family has developed critical products and services in the most important projects of NASA. It is a company worth billions of dollars in the USA which is a leading country in the world in aviation. This is one example of how Americans benefit from our people. I have talked to them and invited them to do this. We will be developing our own shuttles. We will be doing this on these runways." 

"Cancer research in space"

Kılıçdaroğlu later talked about another plan he has in his video. He said, "I have another dream. SNC company also builds habitats in space. Research projects are carried out in these habitats. For instance, cancer studies are carried out in space. It is my dream that Canan Dağdeviren and Eren Özmen work together on this and for Turkey. I met Canan Dağdeviren at MIT. Please also google her name and learn about her. 

We will do great things. We will do great and good work, my dear people. This champions league will work for Turkey. And we will do this for you, in this country that  Atatürk entrusted to you, my young friends. Do not forget, we will do this for you. With this step, we will stop the brain drain and spark the reverse brain drain. 

Bayraktar responds to Kılıçdaroğlu 

Haluk Bayraktar, the Director General of Baykar company which produces the Bayraktar drones, tweeted about the CHP leader's video today. 

"The idea of giving the Atatürk Airport which hosts TEKNOFEST where more than a million youth compete and where world-best national technology projects are displayed to a USA-based company... Thinking that only the USA companies and not the Turks can do the best... The mentality that buried Demirağ's planes in the ground has not changed a bit." Bayraktar wrote, who is also the elder brother of Selçuk Bayraktar, a son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Kılıçdaroğlu: "Space is large enough for all of us"

Kılıçdaroğlu responded to Bayraktar's tweet shortly afterward, and wrote, "Do not get so much political dear Haluk Bayraktar. You and your family are very dear to us. It is not appropriate for you to be part of the propaganda of a political party in the elections. There is room for all our successful entrepreneurs in the future."

"The space is large enough for all of us," said Kılıçdaroğlu at the end. (AS/PE)