Türkiye aims to rise to nuclear league, says energy minister

ANKARA

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that efforts are underway to end Türkiye's energy dependence, with the goal of elevating the country to the nuclear league.

Speaking at the "Türkiye's Energy" session during a meeting, Bayraktar noted that the National Energy and Mining Policy introduced in 2016 opened a new era.

He highlighted the addition of the Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han drilling ships to the energy fleet, saying, "With these ships, we've become capable of conducting these operations with our own geologists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers. If there's oil there, we find oil; if natural gas, we find it. These operations have succeeded and will continue to expand."

Touching on activities in the "Blue Homeland," Bayraktar remarked, "Didn't they say, 'They can't search, they can't find. Even if they find, they can't produce?' The opposition always says this. They even said, 'What are we doing in the Mediterranean?' They call the Blue Homeland a fairy tale, but we're writing an epic in the Blue Homeland."

Bayraktar pointed out that the daily 80,000 barrels of oil produced in Gabar equate to an annual economic value of about $2 billion, serving as an example of the leap Türkiye can make in the "Terror-Free Türkiye" process.

"We used to pay foreign currency for that much oil. Now that's over. The money stays in our pocket, and we're extracting this value from underground to add to our economy," he said.

Bayraktar shared that Türkiye ranks 11th globally in renewable energy, adding, "This year, we'll break a record with an additional 10,000 megawatts in wind and solar. Today, we've become a country that meets all household electricity needs from solar and wind."

On the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, where construction continues, Bayraktar emphasized the aim of joining the nuclear league: "The dome of the first reactor is closed. Construction on the second, third and fourth reactors is progressing simultaneously. There's tremendous work on site."

He noted that 150,000 people work in mining or related industries, a figure that can easily grow, underscoring mining's potential to play a larger role in Türkiye's economy.

Bayraktar affirmed the state's major support program will continue, focusing on those in need or low-income groups.

This year's support is set to reach 700 billion liras ($17.188.163.720), nearing 1 trillion lira with financing.

"We say, 'Let the supports continue, but give them to those who need it,'" he added.