Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced Turkey's new road map in the field of energy at the National Energy 2040 Launch. Stating that global crises have reshaped energy policies, Bayraktar said that the strategic importance of energy and mining infrastructure has increased even more in the age of artificial intelligence. Bayraktar emphasized that the Turkish economy will continue to grow until 2040, and energy demand will rise in parallel.
Türkiye is preparing for a new era in energy policies. In his statement at the National Energy 2040 Launch, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced that Turkey has prepared a comprehensive road map that will both strengthen energy supply security and support the fight against climate change.
Bayraktar stated that they want to share Turkey's goals in the field of energy and climate with the public before the United Nations Climate Conference to be held in Antalya in the coming period.
Bayraktar said that the National Energy 2040 program will form the basic framework of Turkey's energy strategy in the coming years. Pointing out that the energy world is going through a great transformation, Bayraktar stated that the global developments in recent years have caused countries to reconsider their energy policies.
Stating that the pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, trade wars, tariffs and regional conflicts have caused significant disruptions in the global energy system, Bayraktar said that the world has entered a new era in which constant crises are experienced.
Bayraktar stated that the last 6 years have been quite challenging for the global economy and energy markets, and that crises are no longer exceptions. Minister Bayraktar stated that the world was caught in a "perfect storm" and said that before one crisis ends, another crisis begins. Stating that this situation makes it necessary to update existing energy programs, Bayraktar noted that Turkey should also create new targets according to changing conditions.
One of the prominent topics in Bayraktar's speech was artificial intelligence. Stating that the world has entered a new technological era, Bayraktar said that many known balances in the field of energy and economy will change in the age of artificial intelligence. Stating that artificial intelligence will transform almost every area of the economy, Bayraktar underlined that Turkey should be strongly prepared for this transformation.
According to Bayraktar, there are two basic elements of being competitive in the age of artificial intelligence. Stating that the first of these is critical mines, Bayraktar said that countries that want to stand out in new technologies should have a strong mining infrastructure. Stating that the second critical topic is electricity and energy infrastructure, Bayraktar stated that it is not possible to compete in the fields of artificial intelligence and advanced technology without sufficient and reliable energy production.
Stating that the Turkish economy continues to grow, Bayraktar said that the energy infrastructure should be strengthened to the same extent in order to increase investments, production, exports and employment. Bayraktar stated that the National Energy 2040 program was created to meet this need. He pointed out that it is critical to provide uninterrupted, safe and sustainable energy for Turkey to continue its economic growth.
Reminding that Turkey announced its National Energy and Mining Policy in 2017, Bayraktar said that a longer-term and comprehensive planning is needed at this point. In this context, Bayraktar stated that the National Energy 2040 program was shared with the public in 2026 and that the new road map in the field of mining will be announced with the Mining Council planned to be held in 2027.
Bayraktar said that two main topics stand out in Turkey's energy policies. Stating that the first of these is energy supply security, Bayraktar stated that global crises necessitate countries to become more independent and resilient in energy supply. Noting that the second topic is climate change, Bayraktar said that Turkey should turn to cleaner and sustainable resources while meeting its energy needs.
Stating that Turkey is trying to meet its increasing energy needs on the one hand and reduce its emissions on the other hand, Bayraktar drew attention to the importance of carrying out these two goals together. Bayraktar stated that energy supply security and the fight against climate change are not alternatives to each other and can be carried out simultaneously with the right policies.
Minister Bayraktar said that Turkey is among the countries with increasing energy demand. Stating that the main reasons for this increase are population, economic growth and urbanization, Bayraktar stated that the upward trend continues in these three areas in Turkey. Stating that urbanization continues, the economy grows and the population increases, Bayraktar said that this naturally means higher energy and electricity demand.
Bayraktar announced that according to TÜİK data, the population of Türkiye is expected to reach approximately 91.5 million in 2040. Stating that although there is a slowdown in the population growth rate, the total population will continue to increase, Bayraktar said that this will directly affect the energy demand.
Bayraktar also drew attention to the work of the Strategy and Budget Directorate. Stating that the Turkish economy is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.4 percent until 2040, Bayraktar said that the current gross domestic product could increase approximately 1.9 times. Stating that an economic expansion of this magnitude will create a serious energy need, Bayraktar emphasized that Turkey should now create the production and infrastructure capacity to meet this demand.
The National Energy 2040 program aims to increase Turkey's energy security, use domestic resources more effectively, strengthen its electricity infrastructure and adapt to climate targets in the next 14 years. Bayraktar's statements revealed that Turkey's energy policy will now be planned not only according to current demand, but also on long-term topics such as artificial intelligence, critical minerals, population growth and economic growth.
