Tuzla Municipality Hosted Turkey’s First Polar Science House Meeting
Tuzla Municipality carried out an important event by hosting Turkey’s first Polar Science House meeting, organized within the scope of the TÜBİTAK project. At the meeting, a total of 60 participants, including earthquake-affected students and their families, came together under the leadership of Turkish Antarctica Ambassador Sinan Yirmibeşoğlu. Issues such as glaciers, sea level rise and climate change were discussed on the agenda.
Within the scope of the project, 13 students and teachers from Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep and Adana provinces, as well as earthquake victim students, visited the Tuzla Polar Science House and learned about glaciers. They also had the opportunity to explore the experimental room designed at 17 degrees below zero.
TUBITAK Marmara Research Center Polar Research Institute R&D Personnel and Turkish Antarctic Ambassador Sinan Yirmibeşoğlu emphasized the importance of the project and stated that it is a priority for earthquake victims to take part in this project. It was stated that the aim of the project is to raise awareness of earthquake, disaster and climate change issues for the students.
Students’ Experiences and Parents’ Feelings
- Emel Ornektopcu:“We come from a city where the February 6 disasters took place. While we were worried about whether this work would trigger what we experienced, on the contrary, we saw that it was good for our children. They had a lot of fun, we “Think we got through the process together.”
- Elif Basakdolu:“We all experienced the February 6 earthquake. We came here to raise awareness about it again. The children and we liked the activities related to disaster education. An awareness was raised again.”
- Asian Kayacan:“We visited AFAD and learned what we can do against earthquake risks. Here we received information about the melting of the poles. Earthquake is something that is unpredictable and we must be prepared for it.”
Future Projects and Events
During the meeting, students who visited Turkey’s first Polar Science House were encouraged to participate in future research and expeditions while learning about the polar regions. Sinan Yirmibeşoğlu said, “Today, we sent off the first team of our 4th National North Pole expedition. We aim to inspire our students in the field of science and research by hosting them at the Polar Science House.”
Organizing such meaningful activities helps children become more aware of science and nature and helps them become more equipped individuals in the future.
