Akbaba 1969 Votes on the Moon: Apollo 11 Turkish Magazine Turkey Space 12 USA

Akbaba – “Votes on the Moon: Apollo 12” – July 16, 1969 – Turkish Edition

Description:

Akbaba was a prominent Turkish political satire and humor magazine founded in 1922 by Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon, two poets associated with the “Five Syllabists” (Beş Hececiler) literary movement. Despite interruptions in its publication, it continued until 1977 and became one of the longest-running political satire magazines in Turkish press history. The magazine was known for its caricatures of political figures and its humorous commentary on national and international current affairs.

This issue, dated July 16, 1969, features a cover cartoon combining Turkey’s 1969 election season with the American Apollo space programme. In the upper-left corner, the Moon’s craters and surface are covered with ballot papers bearing the word “OY” (VOTE). The absurd image satirizes the pursuit of votes and the seemingly limitless promises of politicians, suggesting that the competition for electoral support has reached even the Moon.

The cover also includes the inscription “APOLLO-12 I...” in the lower-left corner, while a spacecraft speeds away in the upper-right. The reference to Apollo 12 adds a space-age twist to the political satire, linking the electoral contest on Earth with the technological ambitions of the Space Race. The cartoon captures the public fascination with lunar exploration during a period when space missions dominated international headlines.

The issue appeared on July 16, 1969, the day Apollo 11 launched on its historic journey to the Moon. By referring to Apollo 12, the cartoon looks ahead to the next planned lunar mission while using the Space Race as a backdrop for commentary on Turkish electoral politics. The magazine’s cover is a distinctive example of how Akbaba turned a major international event into a humorous political metaphor.

For collectors of vintage Turkish humor magazines, political cartoons, and space exploration memorabilia, this issue offers an unusual combination of election satire and the Apollo programme. Its Moon covered in ballot papers, spacecraft imagery, and reference to Apollo 12 make it an engaging example of late-1960s Turkish cartooning.

Key Features:

• Title: Akbaba

• Publication Date: July 16, 1969

• Language: Turkish

• Founders: Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon

• Publication Format: Political satire and humor magazine

• Cover Subject: Turkish electoral politics and the Apollo space programme

• Cover Illustration: The Moon covered with ballot papers marked “OY” (VOTE)

• Cover Inscription: “APOLLO-12 I...”

• Main Topics: Elections; vote-seeking; Apollo missions; the Space Race

• Historical Context: Published on the day Apollo 11 launched toward the Moon, with a humorous reference to Apollo 12

• Collector Appeal: Vintage Turkish satire magazine combining election-related humor with contemporary space exploration themes