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The growing strategic importance of the Black Sea in regional and European energy security was underscored at the 4th International Türkiye Black Sea Oil and Gas Congress and Exhibition, which opened in Ankara with the participation of senior executives from leading oil and gas companies, regulatory bodies, and technology providers.
Speaking at the event, Mert Can Duman, head of the Trade Ministry’s R&D Department, said energy now functions beyond a commodity, as a determinant of competitiveness and national security.
Duman emphasized that the Black Sea has long been a strategic energy region, adding:
“We must build the Black Sea not only as a resource basin but also as a center of global transformation and energy transition.”
Zeynep Elif Yildizel, president of the Geological Research Association, highlighted Türkiye’s role as a critical bridge between energy-rich regions and energy-dependent Europe.
She said Europe’s dependence on imported LNG, which surged after the Russia-Ukraine war, poses long-term risks:
“Europe can reduce its vulnerability by investing in exploration in the Black Sea and supporting Türkiye’s emergence as an energy hub.”
Yildizel stressed that recent ultra-deepwater gas discoveries in Türkiye and Romania, along with Türkiye’s large exclusive economic zone, make Türkiye’s central role in regional energy architecture increasingly inevitable.
PETFORM Secretary General Murat Kalay outlined Türkiye’s expanding exploration program, noting significant investments by Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) over the past five years.
According to Kalay:
He announced that over 280 wells are planned for 2026, led by TPAO and several private firms.
Kalay said drilling activities are concentrated in the Black Sea and Southeast Anatolia, adding that the integration of the floating production unit at the end of next year will significantly boost Black Sea gas output.
He noted continued development at Gabar, where oil production has reached 81,000 barrels per day.
He also stated that TPAO is working with foreign companies on shale gas and shale oil extraction, with promising exploration results expected in Diyarbakir.
Kalay added that Türkiye plays a strategic role in regional development, contributing to solutions for broader geopolitical challenges and supporting the economic stability of Iraq and Syria.
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