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Türkiye has reached a milestone in its polar research program as a 25 member scientific team arrived in Antarctica for the country’s 10th National Antarctic Science Expedition.
The team completed a five day, roughly 14,000 kilometer journey via Brazil and Chile before landing on King George Island, officially beginning this year’s field operations.
Organized under the auspices of the Presidency, led by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and coordinated by the Polar Research Institute of the Marmara Research Center (MAM) at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK), the mission marks the tenth consecutive year that Turkish researchers have conducted fieldwork on the continent.
The team departed from Istanbul and traveled south to King George Island before beginning the maritime leg of the journey.
Flights from Punta Arenas, often described as the final gateway to Antarctica and known as “Fin del Mundo” or the end of the world, were delayed for three days due to heavy fog and storm conditions over the continent.
Prof. Dr. Burcu Ozsoy, coordinator of the 10th National Antarctic Science Expedition, said the team had initially planned to fly to Antarctica midweek but was forced to postpone due to unfavorable weather.
“For about a week, all flights to Antarctica had been canceled,” Ozsoy said, describing how the team boarded a flight and fastened seat belts only to return to the terminal when fog conditions worsened again at the last minute.
The group eventually landed at Teniente Marsh Airport on King George Island aboard a chartered aircraft and transferred to the vessel “Sola,” anchored offshore. From there, the team plans to travel first to Dismal Island and then to Horseshoe Island, where Türkiye’s scientific research camp is located.
Ozsoy said the team will carry out 14 separate scientific projects across life sciences, physical sciences, earth sciences, and social sciences.
“Every day we spend in Antarctica is extremely valuable in terms of the fieldwork our scientists will conduct,” she said after arrival.
She added that more than 200 Turkish scientists have conducted research in Antarctica over the past decade, examining how climate change is progressing and gathering data from what she described as the planet’s “black box.”
Coordinator Burcu Ozsoy noted that the expedition takes place at a time when climate change has entered a critical phase, emphasizing the importance of collecting long term data from Antarctica to better understand both past and future climate trajectories.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Santiago, Ahmet Ihsan Kiziltan, welcomed the delegation at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Chile, describing the tenth anniversary of the Antarctic missions as particularly significant.
“The investment Türkiye has made in Antarctica and the continuity of these scientific expeditions summarize how much importance Türkiye attaches to research carried out on the continent,” Kiziltan said.
He added that scientific cooperation forms an important pillar of Türkiye-Chile relations and thanked Chilean authorities for their support.
The expedition team is expected to remain in Antarctica for approximately one month, conducting research in what is often referred to as the Continent of Science and Peace.
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