UPDATING WITH ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM PRESIDENT ERDOGAN'S SPEECH
By Esra Tekin and Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye is planning to start work in one of Niger’s gold mines next year, announced the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, adding that the country is exploring for gold abroad.
"Without giving humanity and the environment the value they deserve, the global economy cannot achieve prosperity, energy supply security cannot be ensured, and peace and harmony cannot be established in the world,” said Erdogan in a speech to the Istanbul Energy Forum, a one-day event in the Turkish metropolis.
The Istanbul Energy Forum, organized by Anadolu under the auspices of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, focuses on the theme “Common Future, Common Goals,” bringing global energy leaders together to address shared challenges.
With seven natural gas pipelines, two floating LNG terminals, and 15 entry points, Türkiye has the potential to become one of the world's leading energy trade hubs, said Erdogan.
- Energy supply security
Stressing that this week saw the 1,000th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, an event that forced Europe to reassess the security of its energy supplies, Erdogan highlighted the risks of dependence on foreign energy sources.
Thanks to the balanced ties it established with both parties to the conflict, Türkiye is one of the countries that has best navigated the difficult period of the ongoing war, said Erdogan.
Europe felt the crisis' impact deeply and faced serious problems, he added.
Although there is no shortage of energy supply today, it is necessary to always be prepared for insecurity, he underlined, noting that with this understanding, Türkiye has built its energy policies ensuring energy supply security.
"We attach importance to sustainability in energy, reducing external dependence, and alleviating pressure on the economy," he said.
Unlike many countries around Türkiye, the country has to import most of the energy it uses, he said.
Türkiye last year spent $70 billion on crude oil, petroleum products, LPG, and natural gas, he said.
"The biggest reason for our foreign trade deficit is this energy bill," he added.
Energy is the locomotive for development with transportation and communication, he said, adding that energy is also the main factor for industrialization and improvement.
The uninterrupted supply of sufficient quantities of good quality and clean energy, or, in other words, security of energy supply, is critical for all countries, Erdogan underlined.
Recent crises showed how the security of energy supplies is important for economies, he noted.
- Energy independence
He said Türkiye's energy need increases every year, and there is no solution without using all possible resources for industrialization and development.
"We are taking firm steps forward regardless of the pressure and criticism coming from marginalized structures disguised as environmentalists," he said.
He stressed that no matter what anyone says, Türkiye is determined not to leave itself in need in any field, including energy.
Türkiye is working to bring its opportunities in the field of mining to the economy; in the last 10 years, it has realized an average of 670,000 meters (nearly 22 million feet) of drilling.
He said the mining sector's share in the country's GDP is growing, and the country's mineral exports last year reached $5.7 billion.
"We have 73% of the world's reserves in boron; we maintain our global leadership with a market share of over 60%," he stressed.
He said Türkiye also made a major discovery in rare earth elements, which is a strategic opportunity in advanced technology, especially in the defense industry.
"We discovered the world's second-largest rare earth elements reserve," he added.
- Fossil fuel
Erdogan said fossil fuel sources maintain energy dominance despite a growing backlash and that Türkiye is making a serious breakthrough in this field.
In natural gas and oil, Türkiye has established one of the most modern fleets in the world, with four deep-sea drilling vessels, two seismic research vessels, and support vessels, he said.
Four years ago, Türkiye made the largest natural gas discovery in its history in the Black Sea, which the country put into use last year, he recalled.
He said: "Our daily production rose to 7 million cubic meters... We meet the needs of 3.5 million households with our own natural gas production."
Türkiye has added a floating platform to its inventory to increase production; daily production will increase to 20 million cubic meters, and half of the households will be supplied with its own gas, he said.
He said Türkiye is also looking for oil and natural gas beyond its borders, with the Oruc Reis ship exploring waters around Somalia.
"We made the biggest oil discovery of our history in Gabar, where we could not explore before due to terrorism, and now we extract over 57,000 barrels of oil per day here," he said.
In 2024, Türkiye completed a total of 84 drillings, mainly in the Sirnak, Hakkari, and Van provinces, and the country discovered 66 million barrels of new reserves, he expressed.
With 40,000 barrels coming from the country's foreign fields, daily production is over 155,000 barrels now, and Türkiye will reach its target by boosting its production every year, he said.
- Valuing people, environment
He stressed: "We are all aware of one fact. Energy supply security, clean energy, efficiency, climate, and the environment are issues that concern all humanity."
In the last century, the world has suffered greatly at the hands of a materialistic mentality that considers a drop of oil more important than blood.
"The colonizers not only slaughtered people. Along with millions of innocents, there was also a massive environmental massacre," he said.
He added that emerald-green forests, rivers, and deserts were devoured or polluted in the name of material interests.
"The so-called 'seven sisters' oil companies have been implicated in many wars, including World War I, coups, conflicts, and massacres," he said.
In the 21st century, this system based on exploitation and greed cannot continue; the global economy cannot prosper without valuing people and the environment, he said.
"We have to pass on a clean and livable world to future generations as well as our own needs," he said.
"We determine a responsible policy that is human-centered and does not harm nature; we are making serious investments in clean and renewable energy; we are making giant projects in areas such as wind and solar geothermal," he said.
He said Türkiye generates 60% of its energy needs from renewable energy and last year ranked fifth in Europe and 11th in the world.
Türkiye aims to be among the top three in renewable energy in Europe as well as the top nine in the world by 2025, he added.
- Nuclear energy
Stating that Türkiye’s goal is to reach a nuclear energy capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2050, Erdogan said: “Once fully operational, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will meet 10% of Türkiye's electricity needs and prevent the release of 35 million tons of carbon emissions.”
Construction of four reactors in Akkuyu in southern Türkiye is underway in line with all international standards, he said.
"We do not see energy resources as an element of competition and conflict; energy lines should also carry security and prosperity," he said.
People should not fail to see that saving energy shows development and civilization, he said.
He added: "We cannot consume our resources, including energy, unlimitedly and ignore that others also have a right to every resource we use.
"We have to act with a sense of responsibility. We expect maximum attention from all our citizens at the point of energy supply."