TÜBİTAK National Polar Sciences Workshop started. The opening of the workshop, which was held for the 5th time this year, started with the speech of Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank. Minister Varank stated that the work on the establishment of the Turkish Antarctic Science Base continues intensively and said, “We have completed the concept design of the base. We presented a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment report this year, which received positive evaluations from 53 countries party to the Antarctic Treaty.” said.
Turkey established a temporary science base on Horseshoe island during its science expedition to the white continent Antarctica in 2019. It is aimed to make the temporary base permanent in the coming period, that is, to make the Turkish flag permanent in Antarctica.
Organized under the coordination of TÜBİTAK MAM Polar Research Institute, TÜBİTAK 5th National Polar Sciences Workshop started. TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and TUBITAK MAM Polar Research Institute Director Prof. Dr. Minister Varank, who came to the podium after Burcu Özsoy's opening speech, said:
POLES ARE WARNING
Polar regions are unfortunately the areas most affected by climate change. As you know, human beings resist believing in certain things without seeing them. But climate change is such a critical issue that when you start seeing its effects in the cities you live in, it is already too late. Here, the icy poles are warning us by giving the signal of this change in advance.
THE TARGET IS TO BE THE CONSULTING COUNTRY
Recently, we have made significant progress in pole studies with the support of all our institutions and organizations. Our goal is to have a say in the future of the white continent by gaining the status of Consultant Country. The contributions of you, esteemed polar researchers, are much more important here. Because, in addition to these procedures, carrying out significant scientific research on the white continent has been determined as a prerequisite for being a consultant country.
6TH SCIENCE EXPERIENCE
For this purpose, we organized 2017 Science Expeditions to the continent, the first of which was in 5. We put our temporary base into operation in 2019. We are carrying out the preparations for the 2022th National Antarctic Science Expedition, which we plan to realize in 6. On the other hand, our work on the establishment of the Turkish Antarctic Science Base continues intensively. We have completed the concept design of the base. This year, we presented a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment report, which received positive evaluations from 53 countries party to the Antarctic Treaty.
WILL HOST 50 PEOPLE
I can sense that you are all very excited about this science base. We planned the station to be able to operate for 12 months in summer and winter and to host 50 people. Thus, we will constantly receive data from the white continent and enable you to conduct quality research. We are making all our preparations to realize this work in the coming period.
TURKISH FLAG SHIP TO POLES
In addition to our activities in the field, we established the TÜBİTAK MAM Polar Research Institute, which we call SQUARE, in order to ensure that the project is carried out in an institutional structure. KARE, which acts as the national body responsible for polar research, coordinates Turkey's activities in this field and ensures the efficient use of our resources. For example, Turkish people who can cruise to the poles bayraklı We are working with our Naval Forces Command for a ship.
SUPPORT TO POLE PROJECTS
We have transferred over 30 Million Liras of resources to 6 projects related to the poles within the scope of TÜBİTAK ARDEB calls. Our polar research institute also provided technical support for the completion of 30 different projects. Thanks to these projects, 80 scientific publications and more than 30 theses, 50 of which were postgraduate, were made by Turkish scientists. Our number of publications, which was 1977 from 2017 to 176, has been added to approximately 5 more in the last 90 years and the total number has reached 260.
BLACK SEA WIND
At the end of his speech, Minister Varank stated that the next workshop will be hosted by Karadeniz Technical University and next year we will organize TEKNOFEST in the Black Sea, based in Samsun. The Black Sea wind, which will start with TEKNOFEST, will hopefully continue with this workshop.
A BASE FROM 14 THOUSAND KM
During the expedition held in 2019, a Turkish Scientific Research Camp was established on Horseshoe Island, which is 14 thousand kilometers away from Turkey. Turkey continues its activities to make this temporary base permanent.
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