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Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Saturday the country currently produces enough natural gas from the Sakarya Gas Field to supply four million households, with plans to double that output next year and quadruple it by 2028.
Bayraktar visited Sakarya as part of a series of official programs, receiving briefings from Governor Rahmi Dogan and other local officials before meeting with Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yusuf Alemdar and members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
“Sakarya contributes to Türkiye’s development through industry, agriculture, universities, and tourism,” Bayraktar said. “There is more than 3,000 megawatts of installed power capacity here, accounting for approximately 1.1% of Türkiye’s total installed electricity power. This is important for our energy supply security.”
Bayraktar highlighted that under the AK Party’s 23 years in government, Türkiye’s energy capacity has expanded from 30,000 megawatts to 120,000 megawatts.
He pointed to the country’s current account deficit—caused largely by energy imports—as a major economic challenge, noting that Türkiye spends significant foreign currency annually to meet energy demand for vehicles, households, and industries.
“The energy import bill was $96.5 billion in 2022 but has fallen to around $70 billion in 2024 due to lower global prices. Still, this amount of foreign currency must be secured every year,” Bayraktar said.
The minister emphasized the need to develop domestic energy resources, including oil, natural gas, solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power, and cited the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant as a milestone project representing the largest foreign investment in Türkiye’s history.
Turning to the Sakarya Gas Field, Bayraktar said, “Today, we are producing enough gas to supply four million households. Next year, we will double that. Our 2028 target is to quadruple it, meaning 16 million homes will be heated with our own gas.”
He added that achieving this goal would reduce Türkiye’s foreign energy dependence, shrink the current account deficit, and bring political, geopolitical, and economic benefits.
Bayraktar said the government’s ultimate goal is to provide uninterrupted, affordable energy to citizens across all 81 provinces.
Addressing public concerns, he acknowledged opposition claims questioning the timing of new discoveries but stressed the government’s commitment to passing benefits to consumers.
“Since the pandemic, we have provided significant subsidies on electricity and natural gas bills,” Bayraktar said, noting that in 2025, the government allocated over 600 billion lira to energy subsidies. Adjustments will ensure support reaches low-income families and retirees.
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