Duo photograph Turkey from sky

ADANA – Anadolu Agency

Photographer Alp Alper and pilot Mustafa Yavuz have been traveling Turkey on a two-person gyrocopter and photographing Turkey’s natural and historical beauties. 

The duo initiated the project a month ago in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ’s Çerkezköy district and reached the Mediterranean region traveling through the Aegean coasts. They plan to continue the project in Central and Eastern Anatolia as well as the Black Sea regions. 

Alper, 49, who retired after working for Turkish Airlines for 25 years and 55-year-old geological engineer Yavuz are aviating the air vehicle, which can fly for three hours at a time, and discover Turkey’s beauties with a bird’s eye view. 

After the Black Sea tour, the duo will finish the project at the spot they started. The photos taken in the project are set to be collected in a book titled “Turkey from the Sky.” 

Alper said that with the project, they aimed at promoting Turkey to the world from the sky. 

He said they had determined all the coordination before initiating the project.  

“Our vehicle can fly for three hours. Then we need to get fuel. In order to succeed it, you need to make a very good planning. The hours when we fly and make shooting are very important. We also have a very good team working. When we land, the team provides us technical support. We arrived in Adana traveling through the historical coves of the Mediterranean. Our next route includes Antakya, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Kars and the top point of the Black Sea, Hopa. After Hopa we will fly parallel to the Black Sea Mountains and arrive in Istanbul and Tekirdağ. Then we will present our book to the taste of all photographers and aviators,” he added.  

Alper said the project “Turkey from the Sky” was the result of a seven-year effort, adding, “We are working with a team who set your heart to promote Turkey. This is the main purpose of the project. The most important thing is that we will donate some of the books’ income to the children of martyrs. Our goal is to deliver the beauties of this country to our children and make them love aviation.”

Alper said they were impressed by the Anamur foreland the most. “The hard wind there welcomed us. It showed us the power of nature once again, unexpectedly. We had forgotten this foreland and it made us remember. This was the most exciting place on our route,” he said.