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Türkiye and Germany will strengthen cooperation in energy and mining as global energy security challenges grow more visible through the Hormuz crisis, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in Ankara.
Bayraktar spoke at a joint news conference with German Economy and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche after the 7th Turkish-German Energy Forum, held under the theme “Partnership for Energy Security.”
Bayraktar said the forum has grown every year thanks to developing cooperation between Türkiye and Germany and has become an important platform for Turkish and German energy companies to address expectations and resolve problems.
He said Türkiye is rich in mineral diversity and that cooperation is especially important in critical minerals.
“To reflect this, we have transformed the energy forum into an energy and minerals cooperation forum,” Bayraktar said.
He said cooperation has become even more important at a time when the Hormuz crisis has made global energy risks more visible and affected the world economy.
“In this process, which has become much more visible with the Hormuz crisis and affects the entire world economy, cooperation is important,” he said.
Bayraktar said Türkiye, with its growing energy markets and infrastructure investments in the region, contributes not only to its own supply security but also to Europe’s energy supply security.
He said Türkiye needs more cooperation and that the financial strength of the German government and German companies would be important as partners and stakeholders.
Bayraktar said such cooperation has mattered so far and would become even more important in reaching the targeted level.
Reiche said energy security is no longer only an economic issue but has also become a geopolitical matter.
She said Türkiye plays a central role in Europe’s energy supply security.
“Türkiye is taking on a central role in Europe’s energy supply security,” Reiche said.
She said developments around the Strait of Hormuz once again showed the importance of energy supply security.
Reiche said diversifying dependencies and making joint infrastructure investments are critical for global energy security.
She also pointed to the importance of increasing renewable energy investments and said German-Turkish cooperation in this area carries strategic value.
Reiche said Türkiye is moving toward becoming a regional energy hub by accelerating renewable energy investments while also developing natural gas resources.
She noted that about 10% of the European Union’s natural gas imports pass through Türkiye.
Reiche also highlighted the growing importance of critical minerals in the energy transition.
She said the names of the Turkish-German Energy Partnership and the Turkish-German Energy Forum had been updated to include minerals.
Speaking at the forum, Bayraktar said Türkiye will focus on three main elements in the coming period: flexibility, digitalization and decarbonization of the economy.
He said Türkiye does not see any of these priorities as something that can be sacrificed for another.
“Energy security is no longer a phenomenon that any country can establish alone,” Bayraktar said.
He said Türkiye’s priorities in this difficult equation are clear: strengthening energy security, reducing foreign dependence, supporting economic growth and reaching its 2053 net-zero target.
Bayraktar said renewable energy accounts for about 65% of Türkiye’s total installed power capacity.
With this capacity, Türkiye ranks fifth in Europe and 11th in the world in renewable energy, he said.
He said Türkiye is working to build a new energy architecture.
“Hopefully, by the end of this year, solar energy will become the largest single source in our installed power capacity,” Bayraktar said.
He said Türkiye aims to build a new electricity-based energy architecture that is more flexible, more digital and more resilient than ever.
“The cleanest, fastest and most economical energy is the energy we do not have to produce, import or pay for,” he said.
Bayraktar said Türkiye plans more than $20 billion in investments by 2030 across all sectors, from buildings to industry, transport and agriculture, under the 2030 Energy Efficiency Strategy Document and the Second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
He said Türkiye’s goal is to reduce energy consumption by 16% and prevent 100 million tons of emissions.
Bayraktar said $7.6 billion in investments had been implemented in the past two years.
These investments have already saved 4.6 million tons of oil equivalent and prevented 14.3 million tons of carbon emissions, he said.
He said renewable energy and energy efficiency are two areas where Türkiye and Germany have major potential to move forward quickly together.
Bayraktar said Türkiye has invested in pipelines, underground storage facilities, large-scale floating gasification facilities and many interconnection projects with its neighbors.
He said Türkiye’s strategic location allows it not only to meet its own needs but also to make critical contributions to Europe’s energy security through route and supply diversification.
Bayraktar said an important day was being marked in long-standing cooperation with Germany, as the Turkish-German Energy Partnership became the “Turkish-German Energy and Minerals Partnership” under a new protocol.
“This is not just a name change, but a conscious, strategic and visionary expansion of our common goals,” Bayraktar said.
He said Türkiye welcomed the first institutional contacts launched in the field of critical raw materials.
Bayraktar said a more institutional cooperation mechanism should be built on this strong foundation by bringing together research institutions, public institutions and industry.
He said Türkiye is ready to be a reliable and strong partner in this equation with its rich mineral potential and its will to develop processing capacity in the sector.
Bayraktar said Türkiye aims to deepen the partnership with Germany in areas where both sides are strongest.
He also recalled that Türkiye is holding the COP31 presidency this year.
Bayraktar said Türkiye will use this international responsibility to produce concrete, fair and practical global results in areas such as electrification, energy efficiency and energy security.
He said renewable energy investments will remain a priority.
Grid modernization, energy storage, digitalization and artificial intelligence-based energy solutions will also remain priorities, Bayraktar said.
He added that Türkiye would be pleased to see German investors in Renewable Energy Resource Area tenders and offshore wind targets.
Bayraktar said the scale of the transformation requires more than $80 billion in investment by 2035 and depends on strong and sustainable financing.
He said Türkiye attaches great importance to cooperation with German financial institutions.
Bayraktar said Türkiye wants to create a favorable financing environment together with Germany, mobilizing both public and private capital.
He said the signatures made and new partnerships to be launched would strengthen not only the economies of the two countries but also the stability and prosperity of the region.
“I sincerely believe that, as Türkiye and Germany, we can build a cleaner and safer energy future together,” he said.
Bayraktar said he hoped to open the next page of the partnership in Berlin in 2027.
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