The Turkish team, which set out as part of the 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition, arrived at King George Island in Antarctica after a 60-hour journey. Under the patronage of the Presidency and organized by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and coordinated by the TÜBİTAK MAM Institute of Polar Research, the team embarked on a challenging journey that took them through Brazil and Chile, crossing 103 degrees of latitude, after departing from Istanbul.

A 20-person team, sent off to the White Continent at a ceremony held at Istanbul Airport attended by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, arrived at King George Island in Antarctica after a 2.5-day journey. The scientific team boarded the Chilean-flagged vessel Betanzos, anchored near the island, and posed for a group photo. Having traveled approximately 14,000 kilometers to reach the island, the scientific team plans to sail from there first to Dismal Island and then to Horseshoe Island, where the Turkish scientific research camp is located.

The team will carry out 19 separate projects in fields such as the life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, and earth sciences in Antarctica, which is known as the “continent of science and peace.”.

“It’s very important for Turkey to have a presence here”

The Turkish scientific delegation was greeted at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, by Ahmet İhsan Kızıltan, Turkey’s Ambassador to Santiago, and embassy staff. In a statement made there, Ambassador Kızıltan expressed his pleasure at welcoming the Antarctic Science Expedition team, saying, “Antarctica is a continent with great potential in every respect. It is very important for Turkey to have a presence here, both in terms of scientific and natural resources. Over the years, these expeditions have given us the opportunity to demonstrate Turkey’s scientific capabilities.” Noting that Chilean authorities have always supported these efforts and thanking them for this, Kızıltan added, “Cooperation between Turkey and Chile has many dimensions—commercial, economic, and political. However, this scientific dimension adds a unique element. We hope these expeditions will continue in the future and that our scientific cooperation will develop through other opportunities as well,” he said.

“We disinfect all our belongings before landing on the continent”

Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, Coordinator of the 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition, noted that numerous rules are in place to protect Antarctica’s flora and fauna and prevent the introduction of non-native species, adding, “In accordance with these rules, the expedition team took precautions by disinfecting their boots with special solutions as they disembarked from the plane and set foot on the continent,” she said. Dr. Atilla Yılmaz, Deputy Leader of the 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition, noted that they had arrived at King George Island in Antarctica after a long journey involving multiple layovers, adding that they had disinfected their luggage and belongings at their previous stop, thereby aiming to prevent the introduction of any non-native species to the continent.