Anadolu Agency team en route to Antarctica

By Omer Faruk Cebeci

SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) - Anadolu Agency journalists joined a journey to Antarctica to cover scientific studies in the frozen continent.

Three Anadolu Agency staff, economy correspondent Dilara Zengin, photo journalist Ozge Elif Kizil and cameraman Servet Ulku, finalized their preparations to leave Turkey for Antarctica.

Zengin told Anadolu Agency on Monday that the agency will join the 3rd National Antarctic Science Expedition.

"We will record videos, take photos and do stories about the studies of scientists in Antarctica. Separately, Turkish diver Sahika Ercumen will dive in this continent. Her dive will be covered by Anadolu Agency," Zengin said, adding that Turkey currently has an observer country status in Antarctica, but this year's expedition will be a major step for having consultant country status.

"In addition to scientific activities, we as Anadolu Agency will observe flora and fauna. Anadolu Agency cameras will shoot glaciers, penguins and seals there," she added.

Separately Turkish team leader associate professor Burcu Ozsoy said they were excited about the expedition.

This year's expedition will conduct 13 national and international scientific projects in several fields over 30 days.

Ozsoy said that 25 people -- including Anadolu Agency staff and Ercumen -- will go to Antarctica.

The project is being supported by the Turkish Presidency, Ministry of Industry and Technology, and Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center as well as eight other Turkish universities.

The expedition to Antarctica will start on Tuesday.

Antarctica has been serving as a scientific research zone since a 1959 treaty. Turkey is a signatory of the treaty signed in Washington.

The lowest temperature recorded on the coldest continent in 1983 was at -89 degrees Celsius (-128 Fahrenheit). The temperatures reach up to -15 degrees Celsius (5 Fahrenheit) in the summer.

Turkey's first Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center was founded in Antarctica in 2015.

The mission of the center is to carry out research on Antarctica and raise Turkey's profile in the international scientific community.

In April 2016, the first ever Turkish team of researchers -- 14 medics, botanists, geologists and oceanographers from seven universities -- travelled to Antarctica to study the impact of climate change.

The scientists had told Anadolu Agency that the research is important to collect information on climate change.