A commemoration program was organized on the 57th anniversary of the death of Vecihi Hürkuş, one of the important names in Turkish aviation history.
Members of the Tayyareci Vecihi Hürkuş Museum Association attended the commemoration program held at Hürkuş's grave in Cebeci Asri Cemetery.
Making a statement on behalf of the group, Oğuz Uner, a member of the board of directors of the association, said that Vecihi Hürkuş, who was born in 1896, went to Tophane Art School after completing his primary education in Üsküdar due to his interest in art, and that he volunteered to join the military in the Balkan War in 1912 and was one of the first people to enter Edirne.
Stating that Hürkuş started his duty in the 7th Airplane Company on the Caucasus Front in the autumn of 1917, and that he was one of the first Turkish pilots to achieve this success by shooting down a Russian plane during the First World War, Uner said, "When his plane was shot down in the same year, he managed to destroy his plane before being captured. Vecihi Hürkuş became the first plane pilot to capture Izmir, Seydiköy Airport. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey awarded him with a certificate of appreciation twice." He was awarded the Red Ribbon Medal of Independence." he said.
Uner stated that Hürkuş, who was sent to Germany after the Ministry of National Defense decided to establish a factory in Kayseri, worked as a consultant and pilot at the Junkers Factory.
The youngest member of the Tayyareci Vecihi Hürkuş Museum, 22-year-old cabin crew member Sıla Karaca, said that she became a member of this association when she was a student and said, "Currently, I am floating in the sky like Vecihi Hürkuş. If we can fly so easily on modern planes today, I think it is thanks to people like Vecihi Hürkuş." he said.
The ceremony ended with prayers following the speeches.