Türkiye joins ‘Arctic treaty,’ gains access to North Pole

Bülent Sarıoğlu- ANKARA

With the Turkish parliament ratifying the 103-year-old Spitsbergen Agreement, which allows parties to acquire property and residency in the northern archipelago, Turkish citizens can now benefit from the privilege of living and engaging in commercial activities in the Arctic region near the North Pole.

Located 1,000 kilometers away from the North Pole, the Spitsbergen Archipelago is situated at the heart of the Arctic, which is known as the world's shallowest ocean and houses one-third of the hydrocarbon reserves. Türkiye has joined the agreement which was also ratified by 14 G20 countries, 22 EU members and 25 NATO members.

Under the terms of the agreement, while Norway maintains full and absolute sovereignty over the archipelago and its territorial waters, the treaty extends equal rights to the citizens of the signatory states in the specified areas.

As a result of this ratification, Turkish citizens can now acquire property and residence permits on the Spitsbergen Archipelago and its territorial waters and engage in fishing and hunting activities, while also enabling Turkish companies to conduct operations in shipping, industry, mining and trade.

Additionally, Türkiye, which previously established a temporary science base on Horseshoe Island in Antarctica, is planning to establish a Science Station on Svalbard. Turkish students now also have the opportunity to apply to Svalbard University in the north archipelago.

Providing information to the members of parliament regarding the region and the agreement, Burcu Özsoy, the head of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye’s (TÜBİTAK) Polar Research Institute, stressed the increasing global significance of the region both economically and politically in recent years.

"The Arctic Region, covering a vast expanse of 14 million square kilometers in the northern part of the world, is crucial. It has been established that one-third of the hydrocarbon reserves are located in the Arctic Region and the Arctic Ocean,” she said.

Özsoy also noted that the sea ice, which is roughly double the size of Türkiye’s land area, no longer freezes during the winter months, adding that this disappearance of approximately 4 million square kilometers of sea ice has opened up access to the seabed, signifying the establishment of a significant maritime trade route.

"New routes are emerging, referred to as the 'New Silk Road' from China's north. Now, ice-capable vessels can pass directly through 90 points," Özsoy said.

Özsoy earlier stated that the Turks' first activities in the Arctic began during the Ottoman era in 1528, and the region was even depicted on the map of Turkish cartographer Piri Reis. Turkish scientists have been conducting research in the region since the 1960s. The first Turkish Arctic Scientific Expedition was conducted in 2019, with inter-university initiatives implementing projects around the Spitsbergen Archipelago.