Turkey

30 Apr 2023; MEMO: Turkish defence firm Baykar aims to begin production of its new unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) next year which is already attracting international interest, its chairman Selcuk Bayraktar said, reports Reuters.

30 Apr 2023; MEMO: Alper Gezeravci, selected as one of the first Turkish space travelers, will spend 14 days on the International Space Station, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank told a news briefing on Saturday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced names of the country's first space travelers on Saturday during his speech at TEKNOFEST, Turkiye's premier aerospace and technology festival.

ANKARA, April 30. /TASS/: Representatives of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey at the level of deputy ministers will discuss extension of the grain deal, which expires on May 18, in coming days, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in an interview with the Haberturk TV channel on Sunday.

ISTANBUL, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been suffering from a stomach illness, made his first public appearance in person in three days by inaugurating a tech fair in Istanbul on Saturday.

The Turkish leader attended the opening ceremony of the 6th annual TEKNOFEST technology fair with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah.

29 Apr 2023; AA: A new Turkish tank, Yeni Altay, delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces last week, will enter a test process, the producer BMC's general manager has said.

Mehmet Karaaslan told Anadolu on Friday that the tank will be tested by the Turkish army for 6,000 different requirements.

29 Apr 2023; AA: Turkish expatriates in the UK began casting ballots on Saturday for Türkiye's upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

A total of 127,281 registered voters can vote at polling stations set up in London, Manchester, Leicester, and Edinburgh.

The process for Turkish expats in the UK continues for nine days until May 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after an illness forced him to cancel several days of appearances.

Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defense contractor Roketsan.

28 Apr 2023; MEMO: Turkiye, on Friday, got back an 1800-year-old tomb stele from Italy that was smuggled from the ancient city of Zeugma in south-eastern Gaziantep province, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, said one of the historical heritages was brought back in Turkiye.

ANKARA, April 28. /TASS/: Russia and Turkey are working on a payment system, whose cards can be used by Russian tourists in the country, Hurriyet newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources in the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The payment system will be named Rebit Kart, the newspaper said. Russian tourists are said to be able "to easily use" cards of this system in Turkey with the aid of a mobile app.

ISTANBUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish citizens living abroad started to cast their ballots Thursday for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled on May 14 at Türkiye's airports and border gates.

Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a new five-year term against his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is running as the presidential candidate for an alliance of opposition parties.