The 6th National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition (TASE-VI), conducted under the patronage of the Presidency, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and coordinated by the TÜBİTAK Institute of Polar Research (KARE), has successfully concluded. The expedition featured historic firsts, international collaborations, and critical scientific studies that will shed light on global climate change.

The Turkish scientific expedition has completed its challenging polar marathon in the Arctic Ocean. During the 22-day expedition around the Arctic Ocean, which covered 4,000 nautical miles, physical and biological measurements were taken at more than 90 stations, and 12 different scientific projects were successfully carried out.

The 6th National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition set a precedent not only with its scientific findings in the field but also with high-level participation. Our Minister of Industry and Technology, Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, boarded the research vessel carrying Turkish researchers in Longyearbyen to visit the expedition team in person. Minister Kacır thus became the first minister to participate in the National Arctic Scientific Research Expeditions. Joining Turkish scientists on a voyage that began at the 78th parallel and headed north, Minister Kacır inspected the research efforts firsthand and met with Svalbard authorities.

Minister Kacır: “Nearly 300 of Our Scientists Have Made Original Contributions to the Polar Sciences Literature’

Speaking during a ship visit, our Minister of Industry and Technology, Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, noted that nearly 300 Turkish scientists have participated in polar science expeditions organized under the auspices of the Presidency since 2017, and that these researchers have made original contributions to the global scientific literature.

Referring to the effects of global climate change, Minister Kacır emphasized that the polar regions are warming 3.5 times faster than the global average. Noting that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased from 17 million square kilometers to 13 million square kilometers, Kacır noted that we are facing the reality that an area of sea ice roughly five times the size of Turkey has melted, and that this situation is raising sea levels and fundamentally transforming the ecosystem.

“We Host Foreign Researchers on Polar Research Expeditions”

Minister Kacır, noting that melting glaciers are opening up new trade routes and that the region’s strategic value in terms of hydrocarbons and rare earth elements is increasing, noted that Turkey’s status as one of the 49 signatory countries to the Svalbard Treaty provides legal safeguards for the presence of Turkish researchers on the island.

Recalling that Turkish scientists had previously made efforts to participate in expeditions organized by other countries, Kacır noted that Turkey has now reached a point where it organizes its own national expeditions and hosts foreign researchers. In this context, he noted that scientists from Argentina, Bulgaria, and Uruguay also participated in TASE-VI and conducted joint research with the Turkish team.

Awards Won by Students Who Participated in the Trip: First Place and Fourth Place in the YKS

Minister Kacır, stating that they place great importance on including high school students who placed in the Polar and Climate Change Research Project Competitions held as part of TEKNOFEST in these expeditions, He added that they take great pride in the achievements of the TEKNOFEST generation, noting that a high school student who participated in the Arctic Scientific Research Expedition ranked fourth in Turkey on the university entrance exam, while a student who participated in the previous Antarctic Scientific Expedition ranked first in Turkey.

Three high school students from two different projects—selected from among the first-place winners of the TÜBİTAK 2204-D High School Students’ Climate Change Research Projects Competition—were also included in the team. These talented young people had the opportunity to directly test the projects they developed on climate change in the Arctic environment.

During the visit, Minister Kacır was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, President of TÜBİTAK MAM and Director of KARE, and Ömer Kökçam, Head of TÜBİTAK’s Science and Society Division.

12 Multidisciplinary Projects in the Polar Ecosystem

Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, President of the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) and Director of TÜBİTAK KARE, served as Expedition Coordinator, while Capt. Doğaç Baybars Işıler served as Expedition Leader. As part of the expedition, the team of 12 researchers carried out a total of 12 different scientific projects and studies in the fields of oceanography, biology, chemistry, atmospheric science, meteorology, geodesy, and satellite systems.

International Partnerships 

During the expedition, which showcased Turkey’s global scientific potential, strong international and inter-institutional partnerships were also established with a focus on the public good. The expedition included representatives from 2 public institutions, 5 universities, and 2 high schools in Turkey, while, as part of bilateral collaborations, a total of 3 foreign researchers from Antarctic institutes in Argentina, Bulgaria, and Uruguay also conducted research alongside the Turkish scientific team.