Türkiye’s underground boasts $3.5 trillion in untapped potential

ANKARA

Türkiye's untapped underground resources hold a value of $3.5 trillion, which could help eliminate the country's annual trade deficit exceeding $60 billion if properly utilized, Turkish Mining Association President Mehmet Yılmaz told Anadolu Agency.

The nation's total trade deficit reached $49.3 billion in the first half of 2025, with $20.8 billion stemming from the mining and quarrying sector alone.

Exploration and licensing areas span only 7.7 million hectares out of Türkiye's total land area of approximately 78 million hectares.

Operating licenses cover just 0.1 percent of the land, and only one in 200 exploration licenses converts to an operating permit.

Mining in forests accounts for 0.1 percent of the total land, with rehabilitation and reforestation—mandatory for operations—completed on 113.2 square kilometers to date.

Yılmaz stressed that Türkiye fails to leverage its subsurface wealth to address the deficit, urging mining to become a leading sector.

"Other countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, Russia, China and India consider their mining sectors key leading sectors," he said, deeming the Turkish industry's foreign dependence "unacceptable."

"All mining activities prioritizing local communities and the environment for sustainability should be given support," he added, addressing debates over olive fields.

"We see the olive tree as sacred, but mining can be conducted by meeting set criteria, just like in the rest of the world—industrial facilities, second homes and even highways can impact olive groves. We need to optimize this, as it is very important for our national interests."

Yılmaz highlighted Türkiye's boron reserves, comprising 73 percent of the global total, yet value-added products remain limited.

Refined boron for glass, fertilizers, batteries and defense could generate an extra $2 billion annually, while processed marble exports might add $1.5 billion.

On gold, he noted 5,000 tons of reserves, potentially doubling to 10,000 with updates.

"We're a world leader in boron and have prominent brands in natural stone," he said.

Minerals like lithium, graphite and rare earths are essential for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines and solar panels, Yılmaz explained, underscoring mining's role in the green energy shift.

"We will need to mine six to nine times more than we already do to unlock this potential," he warned.

Türkiye holds strategic reserves of lithium, silver, titanium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper and aluminum—vital for defense, energy transition and high-tech sectors.

EVs require six times more minerals than conventional vehicles, and offshore wind turbines 13 times more than natural gas plants. Türkiye's goal of adding 60 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2035 will further drive mining demand.