Antarctica: Record holder dives for Turkish polar base

By Dilara Zengin</p> <p> <p>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.</p> <p> <p>Sahika Ercumen is part of Turkey’s 3rd National Antarctic Science Expedition to set up such bases on the frozen continent.</p> <p> <p>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.</p> <p> <p>The nine-time record holder remained under the zero-degree waters for one hour without a specialized cold-protection wetsuit.</p> <p> <p>Her journey is being filmed for a documentary. </p> <p>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.</p> <p> <p>Earlier this month, Turkey’s second research team led by scientist Burcu Ozsoy traveled to Antarctica for a 30-day expedition.</p> <p> <p>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.</p> <p> <p>Antarctica has no indigenous human inhabitants and is not ruled by any country. Known as the continent of &quot;peace and science,&quot; it has served as a scientific research zone since the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.</p> <p> <p>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. </p> <p>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.