Turkish scientists complete 6th Arctic research expedition

ISTANBUL

The research team conducted multidisciplinary fieldwork at designated scientific sampling sites in the Arctic Ocean and around Svalbard. (AA)

Türkiye’s national arctic scientific research team has concluded its sixth expedition, carrying out marine sampling and various scientific studies in the Arctic polar ecosystem.

The research team departed from Istanbul 25 days ago. After arriving in Oslo, the team traveled to Tromso, where it completed final preparations before setting sail for the Arctic research area.

The expedition brought together 12 scientists, including three researchers from Argentina, Bulgaria and Uruguay. They conducted 12 scientific projects covering oceanography, biology, chemistry, atmospheric dynamics, meteorology, geodesy and satellite systems.

Under Türkiye’s National Polar Science Strategy, the team continued research on priority scientific themes, including global climate change, threatened ecosystems and human-induced environmental impacts.

As in previous years, the expedition followed updated environmental protocols and the principle of leaving a minimal environmental footprint.

During the 22-day expedition, excluding travel time, the team covered approximately 4,000 nautical miles and collected scientific samples at 94 different stations.

“With our sixth National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition, we have now completed sampling stations covering the entire perimeter of the Svalbard archipelago. This will significantly improve planning for future expeditions, long-term monitoring studies and scientific publications,” said expedition leader Doğaç Baybars Işıler.

He emphasized that collecting samples under harsh and highly isolated Arctic conditions contributes substantially to scientific knowledge, noting that around 80 percent of Türkiye’s polar research publications have appeared in journals, the two highest-ranked categories of academic journals by scientific impact.

As part of the expedition, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır visited the Turkish research team in the Arctic and received briefings from the scientists on their ongoing studies.