Newsletters
Türkiye’s fifth National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition officially began this week, with a team of 12 scientists conducting 19 projects in the Arctic Ocean as part of the country’s growing focus on polar science.
The expedition, operating under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, is led by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in coordination with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye’s (TUBITAK) MAM Polar Research Institute.
Departing from Istanbul, the research team traveled through Oslo and Tromso before arriving in Longyearbyen on the Svalbard archipelago, situated at 78 degrees north latitude, where scientific activities are now underway..
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir announced the launch of the mission in a post on social media platform X, highlighting the success of the country’s ninth National Antarctic Science Expedition earlier this year.
He said the Arctic team will collect seawater and sediment samples, study surface microplastics, and monitor atmospheric dynamics using GNSS and meteorological systems. “The traces of climate change will be tracked in the polar regions,” Kacir said.
Kacir also noted the participation of three high school students—winners of the TEKNOFEST technology competition—who are testing their projects under Arctic conditions. He called the mission an example of Türkiye’s commitment to science diplomacy, citing collaborations with scientists from Argentina, Bulgaria, and Ecuador.
“Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye will continue to expand its polar presence through science-driven initiatives,” Kacir said.
Prof. Burcu Ozsoy, the expedition’s coordinator, said the research will be carried out entirely in the Arctic, unlike previous missions that centered on Antarctica.
“We plan to start and end our expedition in Svalbard and to conduct research in the Arctic Ocean throughout the mission,” she said.
The projects span atmospheric studies, marine ecosystem assessments, and long-term environmental monitoring, combining satellite imagery with ground-based data to observe climate change impacts.
Among the student participants is Aslı Kilci, an 11th-grade student at Dumlupınar Science and Art Center in Afyonkarahisar. Her project—a digital comic book based on 19th-century polar exploration illustrations—won first place in the TUBITAK 2204-C competition.
“Just as early explorers illustrated the poles through their own eyes, I now hope to depict the Arctic through mine,” Kilci said.
Kaan Yusuf Odacı, from Ozlem Burma Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Kastamonu, developed a mobile device using artificial intelligence to measure air quality, winning the top prize in the 2204-D competition.
Elif Berra Demir, an 11th-grade student at TUBITAK Science High School in Gebze, also joined the expedition with her project on sustainability, winning in the 2204-D competition’s welfare category.
The expedition is part of Türkiye’s National Polar Science Strategy, which outlines scientific priorities and supports internationally coordinated research in the polar regions.
1 min read
3 min read
