16.10.2025 18:53
President Erdoğan announced that the rare earth element source of 694 million tons in the Beylikova district of Eskişehir is a strategic turning point for Turkey. Experts stated that these elements are found not only in Eskişehir but also in provinces such as Isparta, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, and Burdur, indicating that Turkey has become one of the countries with the largest reserves in the world.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in a press conference after the Cabinet Meeting that Turkey has entered a new era in its energy and mining policies. Erdoğan announced that approximately 125,000 meters of drilling has been conducted at 310 different points in the rare earth elements field in the Beylikova district of Eskişehir, and a total of 694 million tons of resources have been identified, including rare earth elements, barite, and fluorite.
TURKEY HAS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey has significant potential in this area, stating that the pilot facility has been commissioned and the process is progressing rapidly. Erdoğan mentioned that countries with rare element processing technology have been reluctant to share information, which has made it necessary for Turkey to develop its own technology.
“THEY ARE TRYING TO DISCREDIT US”
Stating that there have been efforts for many years by groups that do not want to contribute underground resources to the economy, Erdoğan said, "They first try to stop mining explorations, and if they fail, they attempt to discredit us. The aim is to prevent Turkey from utilizing this potential. We have seen the same attitude in the Black Sea gas and in the oil in Gabar. My request from our nation is to be vigilant against these games," he said.
FIVE MORE PROVINCES ARE NEXT
After President Erdoğan's statements, Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın and Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir Develi, speaking to CNN Türk, highlighted the strategic importance of rare elements for Turkey. Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın stated that these elements, used in many areas from defense industry to laser technology, from chip production to reactor control, shape the technology of the future. Yalçın noted that Turkey stands out as one of the countries with the largest reserves after China, stating that these elements are found not only in Eskişehir but also in provinces such as Isparta, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, and Burdur. Yalçın added, "The operational aspect is as important as the reserve. Processing these elements is a costly process that requires technical expertise."
“IT WILL ELEVATE TURKEY TO A HIGHER LEAGUE”
Economist Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir Develi stated that rare elements have the potential to "elevate Turkey to a higher league" economically, saying, "China is currently the world leader in this field. Turkey's goal is to increase its production capacity and have the technology to convert it into high value-added products. This will reduce energy dependency and strengthen our export capability," he said.
STRATEGIC POWER AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION
According to experts, the 694 million tons of reserves in Beylikova could be a turning point in Turkey's energy strategy. Rare earth elements will directly contribute to the country's technological independence and economic growth as they are used in areas such as defense, energy, communication, and space technologies.
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