Antarctica: Record holder dives for Turkish polar base

By Dilara Zengin

ISTANBUL (AA) - An internationally renowned Turkish diver dove into the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica to celebrate the opening of a temporary Turkish research base on Horseshoe Island.

Sahika Ercumen is part of Turkey’s 3rd National Antarctic Science Expedition to set up such bases on the frozen continent.

After becoming the first Turkish woman to dive in the icy waters without an oxygen tank early in February, she submerged again amid opening celebrations for the landmark three-year base where scientists began operating on Monday.

The nine-time record holder remained under the zero-degree waters for one hour without a specialized cold-protection wetsuit.

Her journey is being filmed for a documentary.

Ercumen had broken an international freediving record in 2016 in the variable weight discipline without fins off the coast of the Mediterranean resort town of Kas.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s second research team led by scientist Burcu Ozsoy traveled to Antarctica for a 30-day expedition.

The ongoing undertaking follows up on a 2016 journey when the first-ever Turkish team of researchers -- including doctors, botanists, geologists and oceanographers from seven academic institutions -- traveled to Antarctica to study the impact of climate change.

Antarctica has no indigenous human inhabitants and is not ruled by any country. Known as the continent of "peace and science," it has served as a scientific research zone since the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Program was formed in 1988 and includes 30 members with more than 100 scientific bases in moderately mild regions of the continent.

The university's Polar Research Center was established in Antarctica in 2015 with the aim of conducting research and promoting Turkey's position in the international scientific community.