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Recent developments across the world have shown the importance of curating a balanced energy strategy. I would like to start with a very obvious comparison of Türkiye before the millennium versus now. Over the past 20 years, a deep-rooted structural change has taken place in public institutions, and more practical solutions have led the way, alongside long-term goals, forward-thinking, and the realization of diplomacy, thanks to the strong and stable leadership of President Erdogan.
A similar vision drives the transformation of the energy sector, where we went from 0 to over 100 through countless strategies and policy arrangements. Reforms in the power market have attracted several hundred billion dollars in investment from the private sector. The correlation of events in the revolution of the Turkish energy landscape is a beautiful example of what resilient policies and real practice look like.
Among the first steps taken was the urgent update to our infrastructure, followed by hydrocarbon explorations and comprehensive support for the development of renewables. Concurrently, we then looked into ways to achieve concrete results in large-scale nuclear power plants, and what once seemed to be a dream is becoming a reality with the first nuclear power plant (NPP) being constructed on the Mediterranean coast of Akkuyu, and Türkiye is closer than ever to utilizing nuclear energy. Whilst developing our national energy policies, a busy energy diplomacy traffic, with carefully laid routes to ensure the energy security of the region, was also in the making.
One of the biggest challenges our country faced was being dependent on energy imports and meeting the right to access energy for a fast-growing population in an affordable way.
Today, Türkiye is no longer only importing its energy needs; it is also producing its own energy. From the mountains of Gabar to the deep blue seas, Türkiye is nearing providing electricity and gas from its own resources to all households.
Renewables now make up over 60% of Türkiye’s electricity generation. Last year in Baku at the COP meeting, we announced the target of quadrupling our existing solar and wind capacity to reach 120 gigawatts.
A growing population with a rapid industrialization and urbanization rate across the nation means that we must keep producing and exploring to keep the energy bills as low as possible and to ensure energy supply security.
This also means increasing the energy supply portfolio to reduce dependency on a single source (avoiding emergency measures in times of uncertainty). Türkiye is not only upping its game on national energy policies. Stretching beyond our borders, our humanitarian approach to energy extends our intentions further out to the region.
This can be seen in Syria, where we have cooperated successfully for the urgent amount of electricity needed for continuous flow in the country until its own infrastructure is ready to provide it.
Also, to the West, Türkiye has provided alternative routes to its European neighbors when times of uncertainty loomed across the continent following tensions in the region.
The most recent pressure along the Strait of Hormuz was an event we watched closely. We welcome the de-escalation of the events and look forward to the news that a cease-fire expands across the whole region.
Today, Türkiye is providing energy opportunities at home and beyond. Our policies are based on long-term energy goals, and our main target is to ensure affordable and continuous energy for all our citizens.
With over 20 years of experience in energy policies and practices, our country is now in a position to offer its know-how in performing long-term solutions for a strategic practice.
About the author: Between 2016 and 2018, Alparslan Bayraktar served as the general manager of foreign relations and European Union and deputy undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Between 2010 and 2016, he was a board member at the Energy Market Regulatory Authority; and between 2018 and 2023, he served as deputy minister at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
With the Presidential Decree 2023/284 dated June 3, 2023, he was appointed as the minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Before his public service, he worked for the private sector in Türkiye and abroad.
Alparslan Bayraktar also holds positions in various international organizations involved in issues relating to energy governance. He served as the chairman of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER) and the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA). Currently, he is the chairman of the World Energy Council Türkiye.
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