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Türkiye is reportedly pursuing a partnership with the United States to develop newly discovered rare-earth deposits in western Anatolia, in a move aimed at strengthening its position in the emerging high-tech industry, Bloomberg reported.
The reserves in Beylikova, Eskisehir, were previously discussed with China and Russia, but as those talks stalled, Turkish officials turned to their NATO ally for a potential partnership, a source familiar with the matter said.
The potential venture comes on the heels of a White House meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where the two governments signed a civil nuclear energy development pact. Ankara and Washington are now weighing cooperation to refine the Beylikova compounds, which are essential inputs for defense systems, renewable energy technologies, and consumer electronics.
Early testing suggests the Beylikova ore contains more than 1% rare-earth oxide by weight, a level that could make commercial extraction feasible.
A joint venture with the U.S. could replace Türkiye’s earlier arrangement with China, which faltered over disagreements on refining rights and technology transfer.
Ankara signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing in October 2024 for the Beylikova site, but progress slowed when Chinese negotiators pushed to transport and process the minerals in China rather than allow local refining. At the same time, Türkiye is exploring feasibility studies with partners in Canada and Switzerland to keep development options open.
Talks with Russia on similar terms also produced no outcome, according to the report.
To attract international investors, Türkiye also plans to apply for certification under the JORC Code, an internationally recognized standard that governs the reporting of mineral exploration results, it said. Certification would establish the size and grade of the deposits and provide credibility to future commercial partnerships.
Türkiye’s rare-earth initiative aligns with broader efforts by the United States and European Union to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on China, which currently dominates global production and processing of rare earths. These 17 metallic elements play a critical role in high-value technologies ranging from electric vehicle batteries to advanced medical equipment.
Türkiye also joined a U.S.- and EU-led partnership last year to expand access to critical minerals, while at the same time engaging with the China-led BRICS group and welcoming a $1 billion electric vehicle investment by BYD in the western Anatolian city of Manisa.
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