(MENAFN) Türkiye has officially commenced its fifth National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition, featuring a team of 12 scientists working on 19 different projects in the Arctic Ocean as part of its expanding polar research program.

Organized under the Turkish Presidency, the expedition is led by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in collaboration with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) and the MAM Polar Research Institute.

The research group started their journey from Istanbul, passing through Oslo and Tromso, before arriving in Longyearbyen, Svalbard—located at 78 degrees north latitude—where the scientific work has now begun.

Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir announced the expedition’s launch on X, following Türkiye’s recent completion of its ninth National Antarctic Science Expedition earlier this year.

The team’s activities include collecting seawater and sediment samples, analyzing microplastics on the ocean surface, and monitoring atmospheric dynamics using GNSS and meteorological instruments. “The traces of climate change will be tracked in the polar regions,” Kacir said.

Notably, three high school students, winners of Türkiye’s TEKNOFEST technology competition, are participating to test their projects in Arctic conditions and support the expedition’s research efforts.

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