The 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition Turkish team has arrived at King George Island in Antarctica after a long journey of 60 hours. The team participating in the 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition, which was organized under the auspices of the Presidency, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and under the coordination of TÜBİTAK MAM Polar Research Institute, made a challenging journey through 103 latitudes through Brazil and Chile after leaving Istanbul.
The 20-member team, which was sent off to the White Continent with a ceremony organized at Istanbul Airport with the participation of Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, arrived at Antarctica King George Island after a 2.5-day journey. Arriving at the Chilean flagged ship Betanzos near the island, the science team posed for a group photo. The science team, which reached the island by traveling approximately 14 thousand kilometers, plans to first reach Dismal Island and then Horseshoe Island, where the Turkish scientific research camp is located.
The team will carry out 19 different projects in areas such as life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences and earth sciences in Antarctica, which is called "the continent of science and peace".
"It is very important that Turkey has a footprint here"
The Turkish science delegation was welcomed at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile by Turkish Ambassador to Santiago Ahmet İhsan Kızıltan and Embassy staff. Ambassador Kızıltan expressed his pleasure to welcome the Antarctic Science Expedition team and said, "Antarctica is a continent with great potential in every respect. It is very important for Turkey to have a footprint here in terms of both scientific and natural resources. We have the opportunity to show Turkey's scientific capacity through these expeditions over the years." Noting that the Chilean authorities have always supported these efforts and thanked them for this, Kızıltan said, "The cooperation between Turkey and Chile has many commercial, economic and political dimensions. However, this scientific dimension adds a special feature. We want these expeditions to continue in the future, and we want our scientific cooperation to develop on other occasions."
"We disinfect all our belongings before landing on the continent"
9th National Antarctic Science Expedition Coordinator Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy stated that many rules are applied in order to protect the flora and fauna of Antarctica and to prevent the transport of species that do not belong to the continent, and said, "The expedition team, who took precautions within the scope of these rules, disinfected their boots with special solutions while getting off the plane and set foot on the continent." 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition Deputy Leader Dr. Atilla Yılmaz noted that they landed on Antarctica King George Island as a result of long travels and transfers, and said that they disinfected their luggage and belongings at their previous stops, thus aiming to prevent any foreign species from being transported to the continent.
