Haktan Akdogan

Haktan Akdogan is one of Turkey's most prominent UFO researchers and organization builders, based in Istanbul. Since the mid-1990s, he has worked to legitimize UFO research in Turkey through institutional frameworks, academic partnerships, and international collaboration.

Career and Organizations

In 1995, Akdogan founded the Sirius UFO Space Sciences and Research Center, which operates as Turkey's leading UFO research organization. The center claims to work with a network of researchers, anthropologists, physicists, pilots, and psychologists from around the world, with a stated mission to prove that humanity is not alone in the universe. Akdogan has maintained relationships with approximately 20 retired Turkish Air Force pilots who have reported UFO encounters, some involving dogfighting incidents with F-4 fighter jets—a significant pool of credible military witnesses.

In 2002, Akdogan founded the First International UFO Museum of Europe, Balkans and Middle East in Istanbul, which opened on January 17, 2002. This was a landmark institutional achievement for Turkish ufology, providing a dedicated space for UFO research, documentation, and public education. He also secured an academic teaching position at Akdeniz University in Antalya, where he teaches a course on Ufology and Exopolitics at one of Turkey's top public universities—an unusual institutional validation for UFO studies in a mainstream academic setting.

Media and Public Advocacy

Akdogan's most visible contribution to UFO discourse came through television. He produced and hosted 52 episodes of UFO Reality, a weekly documentary series that aired on three major Turkish national television channels, reaching a substantial Turkish audience. This television work made UFO research a topic of mainstream discussion in Turkey during the 2000s.

In 2013, Akdogan created World UFO Day, celebrated annually on July 2, which has grown into an international observance. The day is framed around peaceful demonstrations and community events designed to raise public awareness about UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial contact. This initiative—creating a globally recognized observance around UFO research—demonstrates Akdogan's commitment to mainstreaming the field beyond research institutions and into broader public consciousness.

The Kumburgaz Investigation

Akdogan's most significant investigative work centers on the Kumburgaz UFO incident (2007–2009), one of the most documented UFO cases of the 21st century. Night watchman Yalçın Yalman, stationed at a holiday village in suburban Istanbul overlooking the Sea of Marmara, filmed a series of bright, disc- or crescent-shaped objects over multiple nights, capturing video footage that reportedly showed humanoid silhouettes visible through portholes. The beings Yalman described had elongated heads and six fingers on each hand.

Akdogan led the investigation into this case, subjecting the video footage to technical analysis including video stabilization tests and corroboration of witness testimony. After his review, he concluded that the Kumburgaz videos demonstrated genuine evidence of structured craft with internal activity—a position that gave institutional credibility to one of Turkey's most prominent modern UFO cases. His validation of the footage drew international attention to the case and positioned Akdogan as a key figure in documenting and authenticating Turkish UFO evidence.

Stance and Approach

Akdogan's work reflects a research-oriented rather than sensationalist approach. He emphasizes collaboration with scientific and military experts, maintains academic affiliations, and uses technical analysis for video validation. At the same time, his creation of World UFO Day and his institutional investments suggest a committed advocacy position—he is not a skeptic or neutral analyst, but rather an advocate for the serious study of UFOs as potentially indicating non-human intelligence.