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Türkiye is optimistic about its new energy partnerships with U.S. shale oil investors, Continental Resources and Texas-based TransAtlantic Petroleum, as it seeks to unlock vast reserves in the Diyarbakir Basin.
The joint venture agreement, signed with Türkiye's state energy company TPAO, could mark a turning point in the country's energy independence.
According to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, American partners estimate that the region could hold as much as 6.1 billion barrels of oil—a projection that, while not yet confirmed as a discovery, is viewed as highly promising.
Speaking to TurkMedya’s Ankara Bureau Chief Melik Yigitel, Minister Bayraktar referenced a March 13 article in the Financial Times that cited this figure, clarifying that the estimate reflects projections made by the American firms themselves. “It’s not yet an official discovery, but if accurate, it would be tremendous,” Bayraktar said.
Following a recent ceremony in Gabar, Bayraktar noted that Türkiye currently imports about 365 million barrels of oil annually. If the Diyarbakir reserves prove to be commercially viable, they could meet the country’s needs for over 15 years.
Bayraktar added that nearly 60% of the 41-million-barrel discovery already made in the region lies on the Diyarbakir side. "Diyarbakir is of strategic importance to us," he said, emphasizing the beginning of a new chapter in Türkiye’s oil exploration efforts.
“Our collaboration with the Americans is aimed at extracting shale oil and gas trapped within rock formations,” Bayraktar stated. He emphasized that a new phase is beginning in Diyarbakir and expressed confidence in the potential outcome.
Meanwhile, traditional exploration continues. “TPAO’s most profitable investment to date is in Gabar. We are conducting a globally competitive operation there,” he added.
The Ministry is also intensifying exploration near Türkiye’s borders with Syria and Iraq, including in Van, Hakkari, and Sirnak provinces.
Bayraktar also provided an update on Türkiye’s natural gas export plans to Syria. “We needed to connect the pipeline through a mined area. Turkish Armed Forces have cleared the mines, so that obstacle is behind us. Within weeks, gas will begin flowing to Aleppo, and from there to Homs, where it will power local plants,” he said.
He stressed that Türkiye has supported Syria from the beginning and is currently exporting electricity to northern regions.
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