Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar stated that electrification will be at the center of the National Energy 2040 Vision, which will be announced on November 5, and said, "We are heading towards a period in which electricity will be used more intensively in all areas of the economy in Türkiye. We will announce a very comprehensive plan that reveals how Türkiye will reach energy independence." he said.
In his speech at the 16th Türkiye Energy Summit held in Istanbul, Bayraktar said that energy facilities and infrastructure have become the main targets, especially in the wars and conflicts that have occurred in the last few years.
Stating that international cooperation is needed more than ever, Bayraktar said, "I hope that next year will not be worse than this. Because the energy world faces different tests every year." he said.
Bayraktar stated that passages in the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost 20 percent of the world's oil passes, have stopped and daily tanker costs have increased from 30 thousand dollars to over 1 million dollars, and said, "Everything we know has changed, the world is going through a difficult period." he said.
Pointing out that there is no one-day solution to the crisis, Bayraktar said that the results of the steps taken 10-15 years ago in the energy world are seen today.
Bayraktar pointed out the strategic importance of diversification in Türkiye's energy policy and said, "Türkiye turned to its own local resources in order to solve its foreign dependency in energy. On the other hand, it followed very important diversification strategies." made his assessment.
Touching on the importance of the TurkStream Natural Gas Pipeline, Bayraktar said that natural gas had previously reached the Thrace region, where Istanbul is located, via Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, and that since 2020, it has been received directly through TurkStream.
Bayraktar said, "With the diversification steps we have taken, Turkey has not experienced any problems despite the major oil and supply crisis since February. Of course, we are affected by the prices like everyone else. We strive to protect our citizens with the support programs we implement." he said.
Noting that there is a need for more intense cooperation in the field of energy, Bayraktar said, "Because the energy world has gone through very big tests, and we continue to go through it. Several things are happening at the same time. We are not dealing with a single problem. Many things are together. Shocks come one after another in a very short time. Therefore, on the one hand, this actually shows how resilient our energy markets, especially in Turkey, are and how solid their foundations are." he said.
"A holistic and comprehensive energy strategy"
Bayraktar mentioned that Türkiye follows a holistic and comprehensive energy strategy and explained the strategy that includes the development of domestic resources, supply diversification, renewable energy, energy efficiency and nuclear energy in order to meet the increasing energy need.
Stating that Turkish Petroleum Joint Stock Partnership (TPAO) has become a company producing 300 thousand barrels of oil and gas as of today, Bayraktar said, "We will reach 550-600 thousand barrels in 2028. The target is to increase production to 1 million barrels per day." he said.
Pointing out that new partnerships and acquisitions may come to the agenda, Bayraktar said, "New news and good news may come before the end of the year. We may purchase companies. We are making partnerships and we will continue to do so. There may be new fields, new countries. We want to reach the 1 million barrel target with these." shared his knowledge.
"We will use Akkuyu electricity in our system starting from 2027"
Reminding that Turkey renews the National Energy Plan every 5 years, Bayraktar said, "We need to prepare for the age of artificial intelligence. We will announce it in Dolmabahçe on November 5. Electrification will be at the center of the National Energy 2040 Vision. We are heading towards a period in which electricity will be used more intensively in all areas of the economy in Türkiye. We will announce a very comprehensive plan that reveals how Türkiye will reach energy independence." he said.
Emphasizing that nuclear energy is indispensable for Türkiye, Bayraktar said, "If Türkiye is going to fight against climate change and electrify every area from buildings to agriculture, from agriculture to transportation, we must have nuclear energy." he said.
Bayraktar emphasized that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has come to an end and said, "The intensive testing process continues in Akkuyu. Due to nuclear security and the international conventions and agreements to which Türkiye is a party, it is a much more special area and it is an area where nothing is left to chance and all kinds of precautions are taken. We aim for the physical start-up of Akkuyu by loading the first nuclear fuel in the next few weeks. By 2027." "From now on, we will use Akkuyu electricity in our system." he said.
"Moving from talking to action" motto at COP31
Bayraktar stated that the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) to be held in Antalya is an important platform for the joint fight against climate change and global warming under the umbrella of the United Nations, and said that the meeting will bring together thousands of participants, including heads of state and government from many countries, non-governmental organizations and representatives of the business and financial world.
Bayraktar stated that although new targets were constantly set in the fight against global climate change, the previous targets could not be achieved, and noted that Türkiye put forward a program at COP31 that highlighted the motto of "moving from talking to action".
Bayraktar stated that they recommended Türkiye's electrification approach to the world and said, "If an agreement is reached, we can talk about the '35 percent electrification in 2035' target as the most important outcome of COP31. I hope that we will give a very important message to the world and not only give a message, but also move the world in this sense." he said.
Stating that Türkiye will host one of the most difficult COP meetings at a time when wars continue and access to energy is restricted, Bayraktar stated that the transition to green energy is not easy in this environment where countries face energy access and price problems.
Support in energy will continue
Bayraktar emphasized that the support provided to protect citizens from increases in energy prices continues, and said that the total support provided for electricity and natural gas in the 2021-2026 period reached approximately 75 billion dollars.
Stating that more than 600 billion liras were allocated for energy supports in the budget, Bayraktar said:
"We will continue to provide electricity and natural gas support to households. With the crisis in February, our Treasury gave up a very important tax on the cost side of fuel with the Eşel Mobil system. We have neglected a tax of nearly 250 billion liras. We strive to protect our citizens as much as possible with these supports."
Explaining that Türkiye has developed its infrastructure in line with its goal of becoming an energy trade center, Bayraktar stated that the country, which consumes 55-60 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, supplies gas from 13 countries as of this year.
Bayraktar pointed out that Türkiye has become a country that exports natural gas and said that Türkiye can create an alternative due to the European Union's decisions regarding Russian gas.
Stating that support for local coal power plants will continue, Bayraktar noted that a fair transformation that considers employment in the coal sector should be planned.
