The Polar Regions Coordination Board convened for the first time in Ankara.

19 November 2025

The meeting, chaired by Minister of Industry and Technology Fatih Kacır, highlighted the role of the polar regions as natural laboratory environments for numerous scientific disciplines—from geology and medicine to oceanography and astronomy—thanks to their unique ecosystems.

Discussions also emphasized that the traces of the planet’s past and climate change can be observed in these regions, and that the most critical data regarding the Earth’s future is likewise obtained from the poles.

Deputy Minister Hasan Suver delivered remarks at the meeting on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, which is a member of the Coordination Board.

Suver noted that the polar regions are among the most sensitive and defining components of the global climate system. “The rapid melting of ice sheets and the resulting weakening of the albedo effect, the release of substantial amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to permafrost thaw, and the changes occurring in ocean salinity and ocean heat-layer circulation directly affect global climate dynamics.” said Deputy Minister.

“These processes have significant implications for Türkiye, which is part of the Mediterranean Basin.

Prolonged heat waves triggered by weakening jet streams, stronger Mediterranean cyclones that bring more extreme rainfall, rising sea levels and coastal flooding, and shifting drought cycles are becoming increasingly reflected in Türkiye’s national climate risk profile.

The meeting also addressed how newly emerging trade routes resulting from glacial melt are reshaping global trade along the Asia-Europe-America axis, and how the polar regions—with their rich underground resources, strategic minerals, and critical freshwater reserves—are becoming key geostrategic focal points of the 21st century. Deputy Director of Climate Change Mehrali Ecer was among the participants.