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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Türkiye has identified the world's second-largest rare earth element reserve, containing an estimated 694 million tons of mineral resources in Eskişehir province, as the government moved to dismiss claims the strategic site would be transferred to foreign control.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex, Erdogan disclosed that extensive exploration at the Beylikova district site has revealed approximately 12.5 million tons of rare earth oxides alongside significant deposits of barite and fluorite. The site contains 10 of the 17 known rare earth elements, materials critical to defense industries, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, communications and space technology.
"This site will not be handed over to any country under any circumstances," Erdogan said. "Anyone who claims otherwise is slandering their own nation."
Exploration work at Beylikova has involved drilling approximately 125,000 meters across 310 separate locations, revealing the massive scale of Türkiye's rare earth deposits. The discovery positions the country as a potentially major player in the global rare earth market, which is currently dominated by a handful of nations.
Türkiye aims to become one of the world's five largest producers of rare earth elements, materials that play essential roles in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. The government has prioritized developing the site to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and capture higher-value production in the mineral sector.
State-owned Eti Maden has commissioned a pilot production facility capable of processing 1,200 tons of ore annually, with work underway to convert the operation into an industrial-scale facility. The expansion includes development of purification technology, a critical step in rare earth processing that few countries have mastered.
Erdogan acknowledged that countries and companies with rare earth element technology are reluctant to share their production expertise, making international cooperation necessary for accelerating development. He noted that many nations have signed agreements with experienced countries for technology development, consulting and technology transfer.
"We are conducting negotiations with expert organizations from countries that possess technological memory," Erdogan said, while emphasizing that such cooperation would not compromise Turkish sovereignty over the resources.
The announcement came as Türkiye's Presidency Communications Directorate Disinformation Response Center issued a separate statement calling claims that the Beylikova site would be transferred to the United States "completely baseless."
"Beylikova Rare Earth Elements site is one of the most strategic discoveries in Türkiye's mining history, and work in this area is being carried out with domestic and national resources," the center said in a statement posted on social media. "Industrial production preparations are continuing in line with our country's full sovereignty and national interests."
The center characterized contrary claims as "manipulative and diversionary attempts targeting Türkiye's strategic mineral policies," urging the public to rely on official statements and disregard disinformation.
Erdogan framed the rare earth development as part of broader efforts to strengthen national energy security, noting that the Sakarya Gas Field currently meets natural gas needs for 4 million households and that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will soon begin generating electricity.
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