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Türkiye is conducting multilateral science diplomacy in Antarctica through visits to foreign research bases as part of its 10th National Antarctic Scientific Expedition, officials said.
The expedition is being carried out under the auspices of the Presidency, coordinated by the Polar Research Institute of TUBITAK MAM and overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
The scientific delegation, led by Expedition Coordinator Prof. Burcu Ozsoy and Expedition Leader Prof. Dr. Ersan Basar, visited Antarctic bases operated by Chile, Russia, South Korea, China and Bulgaria.
Ozsoy said visiting other countries’ Antarctic bases is a core element of Türkiye’s scientific presence on the continent. She noted that during the 10th expedition, cooperation opportunities were evaluated to strengthen joint scientific participation with partner countries.
The delegation visited Bulgaria’s St. Kliment Ohridski Base on Livingston Island and inspected the Bulgarian polar research vessel Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The team also toured Russia’s Bellingshausen Station, China’s Great Wall Station, South Korea’s King Sejong Station and Chile’s Profesor Julio Escudero Base on King George Island.
During the visits, officials received briefings on scientific studies and base infrastructure. Ozsoy said Antarctica hosts more than 100 research stations belonging to around 30 countries and is regarded as a continent of science and peace, where cooperation brings together researchers under shared scientific values.
She added that South Korea hosted Turkish researchers for 48 hours as part of ongoing cooperation, while Russian officials invited Turkish scientists to conduct studies at their base. Ozsoy stressed that such exchanges are central to science diplomacy in Antarctica.
The visit to Chile’s Profesor Julio Escudero Base coincided with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Chile. Ozsoy said raising the Turkish flag at the base carried symbolic importance and reflected long-standing scientific cooperation.
Türkiye’s ambassador to Santiago, Ahmet Ihsan Kiziltan, said the 10th expedition comes during a milestone year, recalling that diplomatic relations were formalized in 1926 and that Chile was the first Latin American country to recognize Türkiye.
Kiziltan said both countries benefit from Antarctic scientific cooperation and underlined that Türkiye will continue to deepen and expand its scientific activities on the continent in the coming years.
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