Organized under the auspices of the Presidency, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and under the coordination of TÜBİTAK, the 7th National Polar Sciences Symposium and the 3rd Polar Festival are hosted by Yıldız Technical University.
In his speech at the opening of the event, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said that the poles, with their unique nature and ecological structure, serve as a unique laboratory for scientific studies in many fields such as geology, medicine, astronomy, climate and life sciences. Stating that this geography, which also hosts rich underground resources and fresh water reserves, attracts the attention and interest of countries that want to have a say in the future of the world, Kacır said: "Antarctica has a different importance among the polar regions. Discovered in the 1800s, never fought for, dedicated to peace and science, Antarctica is protected and managed by the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959. The interest of our ancient civilization in Antarctica dates back to the 16th century. Our scientific studies in Antarctica, which were included in the maps of the great Turkish navigator Piri Reis in the early 1500s, accelerated in the 1960s within the framework of international cooperation. Today, the names of our Turkish scientists are on the Karaali Rocks, İnan Hill and Tilav Ice Tongue in Antarctica."
"We enabled 116 Turkish scientists to conduct research in the polar regions"
Pointing out that valuable Turkish professors were able to carry out their work under the umbrella of scientific research projects of other countries under the conditions of the period, Kacır said: "In line with our National Technology Move vision, we aimed to enable our country to develop critical technologies and strengthen its ability to produce original and innovative scientific studies. Since 2017, we have been organizing National Polar Science Expeditions under the auspices of our President, pioneering the research of our scientists and reinforcing our country's presence in the polar regions. To date, we have organized 7 expeditions to Antarctica and 3 expeditions to the Arctic, enabling 116 Turkish scientists to conduct research in the polar regions. As a result of these efforts, 252 scientific outputs were produced."
"We evaluate the results of our scientific expeditions with the Polar Symposiums, which we organize every year and which are instrumental in bringing us together today," said Minister Kacır and emphasized the following: "We also have the opportunity to test our domestic and national technologies, which we have developed with the vision of the National Technology Move, in Antarctica. Antarctica and the Arctic are perhaps the regions with the harshest climatic conditions in the world. In these harsh climatic conditions, we ensured that our scientists can communicate properly over long distances with the radios and radio relay stations produced by ASELSAN. With the thermal battery produced by TÜBİTAK SAGE, we met the need for energy and heat in possible emergencies. Our domestic UAVs facilitated the work of our scientists in the harshest conditions. We supported scientific studies with the locally produced global positioning system provided by HAVELSAN and the seismometer provided by TÜBİTAK RUTE." Stating that Turkish scientists successfully carried out their expeditions with special clothes produced by domestic textile companies, Kacır said: "Our domestic and national technologies, which have reached Antarctica beyond the borders of our country, thankfully pass the test in these harsh conditions successfully. This success is the result of the sweat of Turkish scientists, engineers and technicians who are committed to the National Technology Move. Our achievements are not limited to these. We have collaborated with more than 20 countries in the international arena and carried out scientific studies that are respected in the world scientific community. Thanks to these efforts, we have successfully completed the process of full membership to organizations such as the European Polar Board, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research, and the National Antarctic Programs Executive Council. As a country, we became a party to the Protocol on Environmental Protection of the Antarctic Treaty. We shared with the world public that the priority of our country in Antarctica is to protect the unique ecosystem of the continent and to use it as a region where scientific research is carried out."
Minister Kacır stated that they have completed the preliminary work on the Turkish Scientific Research Base planned to be established on Horseshoe Island in Antarctica, and that they aim to put this base into service for scientists in the near future. Stating that with the establishment of the Turkish Scientific Research Base and all valuable scientific outputs, they aim to be among the full members of the Antarctic Treaty System, which is an observer country, Kacır continued his words as follows: "One of the priority goals of our Ministry is to introduce our children and young people to science at an early stage. We will entrust our future to our children and youth. We are aware that investing in them is an investment in both the future and the present. With our Polar Festivals, Polar Research Projects and Climate Change Research Projects Competitions, we bring students from all levels of education together with science. We encourage them to produce projects in the fields of polar sciences and climate change. This year, we organized expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic with the participation of high school students and students who came first in the Polar and Climate Change Research Projects competitions. Thus, we enabled them to conduct field studies and experiments from the poles.
"The Painting Contest on the theme of Science at the Poles in the 100th Anniversary of our Republic has taken our young people on a journey in the world of mind and imagination"
We support our young people in polar research not only through science but also through artistic endeavors. The Painting Contest on the theme of Science at the Poles in the 100th Anniversary of our Republic, which we organized this year, has also been instrumental in taking our young people on a journey in the world of mind and imagination. We received nearly 3,400 applications from 81 cities to this contest, which allows us to see the polar regions and our scientific studies through the eyes of our young people."
"We are sharing the National Polar Science Strategy, a roadmap for the next 13 years, with the public"
Stating that they have taken important steps to bring a holistic and systematic approach to Polar research studies since 2017, Minister Kacır continued as follows: "First of all, we launched our first National Polar Science Program for the period 2018-2022. We established our Polar Research Institute at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center and gathered our work under an institutional roof. Today, we are sharing the National Polar Science Strategy, a roadmap for the next 13 years, with the public. With the projects we will realize in line with this strategy, we will increase the quantity and quality of scientific data in the field of polar research and strengthen Turkey's scientific mission and position in the international arena."
"Encyclopedia of Polar Sciences will serve as a fundamental resource"
Explaining that they will bring the National Polar Specimen Archive and the National Polar Data Center to Turkey, Kacır said: "We will encourage the increase of academic and popular publications on polar sciences. With this event, we are sharing two more important developments for our polar science studies with the public. With the Encyclopedia of Polar Sciences, we are signing an important contribution that will ensure unity of terms in the polar literature of our country and share the mysteries of the challenging geography. This work, which includes more than 500 articles from the creatures living in the polar region to the geology, atmospheric structure and geographical features of the region, will serve as a basic source for anyone interested in polar studies."
"Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences Polar Sciences Special Issue in memory of Atok Karaali"
Minister Kacır said, "Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, one of the most respected journals of our country, has dedicated this issue to the theme of polar sciences. With this issue dedicated to the memory and legacy of Atok Karaali, the first Turkish scientist to set foot in Antarctica, we honor and remember the contributions of Turkish researchers to the polar regions for 50 years."
"This event is very valuable for finding a solution"
Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, said in his speech: "We are experiencing an extraordinary period both as a country, as a region and globally. Until yesterday, it was 20 degrees Celsius, and today it is raining heavily... When it rains, we say that we hope there will be no disaster. But today's meeting is really very valuable in finding a solution to this situation instead of just wishing for it." He emphasized the importance of the event.
"When we look at the process, it may seem like an environmental event, a climate event, but when we look at its impact, we see its economic, social and geopolitical effects. We also observe the many difficulties it brings with it; food supply security, energy supply security, water supply security, internal migration and the economic effects that these bring with them. Unfortunately, when we look towards the future, this will continue to increase even more." Mandal said, "These issues are being discussed at the governments' level at the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai. The key concept is science and technology. Science prefers to find solutions in the medium and long term, but at the point of current needs, we are talking about science and urgency simultaneously. Therefore, our symposiums that have been going on for 7 years are very valuable in this sense."
"By 2050, we won't see Arctic sea ice in summer"
Prof. Dr. Mandal said, "If you ask why the subject comes to Antarctica; because we can see the effects of what is happening here much faster in our nearby geography. In just one year, when September is compared to the previous year in Antarctica, which is the period when sea ice is the highest, we see that the area in Antarctica has decreased almost as much as Egypt compared to the previous year. When we look at the Arctic, it is 72 percent less than it should be and the scenario says this: By 2050, we will not see sea ice in the Arctic in summer. What does that mean? It is not hard to imagine how this will affect our ecosystem and make it even more complex. The impacts on food, water, energy, security of supply, economic and migration will be much greater."
"September was the hottest September of the last century. In 2023, four months of the year were above average." Mandal reminded, "For these reasons, the interest of our friends here, especially our young friends, our students, and when I say our students, not only our university students but also our high school students in this process is important. We find it very valuable that our students take responsibility for this. And the interest in the climate and polar research competitions we have recently launched within the scope of TEKNOFEST is an indicator of the contribution of the efforts of these young people."
"We are realizing this project under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the coordination of TÜBİTAK. The symposium is actually an environment where the findings obtained after the National Polar Science Expeditions we organize every year to Antarctica and the Arctic are shared. It is not only an awareness, but also a symposium where the experimental research obtained is shared. It is an event where about 80 papers and presentations will be made and about 100 policies will be formed. " he drew attention with his expressions.
"We strive to bring the strong scientific potential of our country to these regions and contribute to the international scientific community with original and high value-added studies"
In her speech, Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, President of TÜBİTAK MAM and Director of KARE, noted that although they are tens of thousands of kilometers away from us, the polar regions, including the Arctic and Antarctic, are of critical importance for the natural cycles of our planet and thus for human life.
"Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heat waves and sudden temperature changes, which we have witnessed frequently in recent years, reveal that climate change is now at a scale that cannot be ignored. " Özsoy said, "In order to be a part of the solution in this regard, we want to contribute to the enlightenment of our future on these issues with the science expeditions we organize to the polar regions. At the same time, we strive to contribute to the international scientific community with original and high value-added studies by carrying the strong scientific potential of our country to these regions." He used his expressions.
"As Turkey, we aim to contribute as an active participant in meetings where the future of the polar regions is discussed"
Prof. Dr. Özsoy said, "The fact that National Polar Research began in 2017 under the auspices of our President and the Ministry of Industry and Technology has been a symbol of the value and importance given to this work as a country, and has enabled polar research activities to gain great momentum. Turkey's rise in polar research attracts attention and appreciation both in the international meetings we attend and in the articles where Turkey is scrutinized. As Turkey, we aim to contribute not only as an observer but also as an active participant in the meetings where the future of the polar regions is discussed. We are working with all our strength in order not to embarrass our President, our Minister, our President of TUBITAK, our Vice President of TUBITAK and TÜSSİDE Director, our President of BİTO and everyone who supports us on this path."
Science at the Poles in the 100th Anniversary of the Republic Painting Contest
After his speech, Minister Kacır presented the prizes to the winners of the "Science at the Poles in the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey Painting Contest".
Asel Keskin, Kasımcan Arıkanoğlu and Belinay Başar, the third place winners in the primary, middle and high school categories, were presented with cameras and TÜBİTAK books.
Esma Koca, Berra Kaplan and Zeynep Topçu, the runners-up in the primary, middle and high school categories, were presented with tablets and TÜBİTAK books. The winners of the primary, middle and high school categories, Elif Mina Taşocak, Ceylin Ebcim and Rümeysa Suna Öcal, received computers and TÜBİTAK books.
60 Million Year Old Rock Gift to Minister Kacir
TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal presented a special rock 60 million years old to Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır. Mandal said, "Within the scope of the First National Antarctic Science Expedition organized in 2017, rock samples were taken for scientific studies from Horseshoe Island, located at 68 south latitude, where the research camp of our country is located. This rock, which we presented to our Minister, is a gabbro rock consisting mostly of pyroxene and plagioclase minerals representing the latest magmatic activity in the region. All analyzes have been completed." He clarified the importance of the gift.
The 7th National Polar Sciences Symposium and the 3rd Polar Festival will last for two days.
To review the Encyclopedia of Polar Sciences:
https://ansiklopedi.tubitak.gov.tr/kutup/
For a National Polar Science Strategy:
https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/26720/11233f_tubitak_strateji_belgesi.pdf
https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/26720/11233k_tubitak_strateji_belgesi.pdf
