Turkish research team to arrive in Antarctica Friday

BUENOS AIRES

In a historic first, a team of 14 Turkish researchers will arrive Friday in Antarctica on a scientific mission to study the impact of climate change.

The team, including medical doctors, botanists, survey and geological engineers, and oceanographers from seven Turkish universities, is set to stay in the southernmost continent until April 15.

Manfred Reinke, executive secretary of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, gave a presentation to the team about the latest scientific research on the continent, Professor Bayram Ozturk, the head of the research team, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

Bayram said this is the first time Turkey has organized a scientific expedition to Antarctica.

The team came together under the joint convention between the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine (NASC), Istanbul Technical University (ITU), the Polar Research Center (PolReC), and the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV).

Antarctica has served as a scientific preserve since the 1959 signing of the Antarctica Treaty, to which Turkey is a party.

A total of 31 countries have scientific outposts in Antarctica. Turkey does not.

The continent is the coldest on earth. The lowest temperature was recorded in 1983 at -89° C. In the summer, the temperatures rise to -15° or -5° C.