Faruk Bildirici writes: The hidden side of the space journey

Media Ombudsman Faruk Bildirici evaluated the 'space journey' of the first Turkish astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı.

Drawing attention to the headlines in pro-government newspapers, Bildirici stated, "The fact that there was no need to mention the cost of the journey, even for a single line, was a concrete example of the approach taken by the pro-government media. The same attitude was displayed on the news websites and television channels of the pro-government media; the fact that the journey is being made in exchange for a payment of millions of dollars was covered up," he said.

Faruk Bildirici's article titled "The hidden side of the space journey" is as follows;

For days, we have been living under a barrage of news stories like "Turkey's first astronaut is in space" and "Bring me the stars." This barrage will continue to grow during the 14 days Alper Gezeravcı will spend at the space station. I cannot predict how long it will last after that. It would not be surprising if they parade Alper Gezeravcı from city to city, from square to square.

Because in our attempt to boast as a nation, we have gone quite overboard; the "space journey" has been turned into a convenient instrument for the AKP's local election propaganda. Alper Gezeravcı's space journey is being portrayed by the government and its media as if it were the result of a scientific and technological development in Turkey.

Since the goal is to present this journey to the public as a "national achievement" and use it for propaganda, the cost of Alper Gezeravcı's space journey is naturally never mentioned. The uncertainty of the cost is the fundamental problem with these reports. Not only has no official statement been made, but the pro-government media has made no attempt to learn or report this information.

The fact that there was no need to mention the cost of the journey, even for a single line, in the pages of Hürriyet with the headline "Turkey is in space" and Sabah with "This great pride belongs to the Turkish nation", were concrete examples of the approach taken by the pro-government media. The same attitude was displayed on the news websites and television channels of the pro-government media; the fact that the journey is being made in exchange for a payment of millions of dollars was covered up.

70 MILLION DOLLARS!

In the opposition media, reports were published stating that the cost of the flight would be 55 million dollars. However, this amount is not the cost of the space journey, but the money to be paid to the Axiom Space company, owned by Elon Musk. And even that is an estimate made by the famous aviation site Space.com, based on old statements regarding Ax-1.

When other expenses are added to the payment to be made to the company, the cost of Gezeravcı's space journey will grow even further. Turkish Space Agency (TUA) Board Member Prof. Dr. Lokman Kuzu had stated to DW, "The cost of the mission is somewhat variable. However, I can say that the current approximate cost of the mission to be carried out is around 70 million dollars."

THE COMMERCIAL SIDE WAS IGNORED

The failure of the pro-government media to mention the history of Axiom Space's space journeys is also a significant deficiency. By not mentioning this information, just like the cost, the commercial side of the space journey is being covered up.

On the Axiom Space website, Alper Gezeravcı is called a "Mission Specialist." Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from Saudi Arabia on the Axiom-2 flight, which preceded the Axiom-3 that Alper Gezeravcı joined, as well as Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe and Canadian businessman Mark Pathy on the Axiom-1 flight, are also defined as "Mission Specialists."

These passengers, who have no duties related to flight management, are referred to in the media as "space tourists" or "visitors." Indeed, in Turkey, Anadolu Agency, Yeni Şafak, Hürriyet, CNNTürk, and TRTHaber had written "space tourist" for Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy on the first flight.

It is a contradictory stance for the pro-government media, which called them "space tourists," to call Alper Gezeravcı, who similarly participated in the space journey by paying the fee, an "astronaut." Especially when headlines like Sabah's "We are now in the space race" are exaggerated and far from reflecting the truth...

News Source: 12punto