President Erdoğan: By 2026, we will meet half of our households' natural gas needs with our own natural gas.

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President Erdoğan, who attended the Anadolu Agency Istanbul Energy Forum held at the Istanbul Congress Center, made striking evaluations regarding the natural gas discoveries.

POINTED TO 2026

In his statement on the subject, Erdoğan said, "We have established one of the world's most modern exploration and production fleets consisting of 4 deep-sea drilling ships, 2 seismic research vessels, and support ships in natural gas and oil. Four years ago, we made the largest natural gas discovery in our history in the Black Sea. Our daily production in the Sakarya Gas Field has reached 7 million cubic meters. We have increased our domestic production to 8 million cubic meters per day. We meet the needs of 3.5 million households from our own natural gas production. We have added a floating production platform to our inventory. With the platform we will put into production in 2026, we will increase daily production to 20 million cubic meters. We will meet the needs of half of the households with our own gas," he said.

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements:

"Welcome to all of you in our city of civilizations, Istanbul. Turkey's role in the energy sector will be discussed here, covering many topics from financing issues to oil and natural gas, and supply security.

"ONE OF THE COUNTRIES THAT GOT THROUGH THE PAINFUL PERIOD MOST COMFORTABLY"

Energy, along with transportation and communication, is the locomotive of development. Ensuring the supply of sufficient amounts of quality and clean energy at reasonable prices is critical for all developed and developing countries regarding energy supply security. Recent crises that have erupted in our region have reminded us how vital energy is for national economies. The war between Russia and Ukraine has demonstrated the risks of external dependency in the energy sector. Turkey has been one of the countries that got through the painful period most comfortably. Our European friends have experienced the energy crisis triggered by the war. Although there is no crisis in energy supply today, it is always necessary to be prepared for ensuring energy supply security. We have built our energy policy on the understanding of ensuring our energy supply security.

"TURKEY'S COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE IN ENERGY"

Unlike many countries around us, we are a country that is obliged to purchase most of the energy it uses from abroad. In 2023, our imports of crude oil and petroleum products reached 49 million tons, LPG 4 million tons, and our natural gas imports reached 50 billion cubic meters. We paid 70 billion dollars for these. The biggest reason for our foreign trade deficit is this energy bill. I openly say that sustaining economic development with such a heavy import item is not something just anyone can do. Turkey has achieved the difficult task, growing at an annual rate of 5.4% over the last 20 years. Despite all these difficulties, we have been growing uninterruptedly and steadily for 14 years. In the upcoming period, we will continue to grow above the world average. As the economy grows, as the population increases, and as industrialization rises, our energy needs also increase. There seems to be no other way out than to mobilize all the resources at our disposal. Based on these realities, we are striving to make the most of our country's potential in every area from mining to oil, from wind to solar energy. As a country with complete independence in energy, we continue on our path with firm steps, regardless of criticisms. No matter what anyone says, we are determined not to make our country dependent on anyone in any field. With God's permission, we will not take a step back from this.

"WE AIM TO BECOME A SUPPLIER"

In the last 10 years, we have conducted 670 thousand meters of drilling. We have increased the volume of the mining sector in GDP by more than 4 times to 270 billion lira. We own 73% of the world's boron reserves. We maintain our global leadership with a market share of over 60% in this area. We are also conducting exploration activities abroad. We plan to start production in the gold field in Niger in 2025. We have made a significant discovery in rare earth elements with advanced technology. We discovered the world's second-largest rare earth elements in Eskişehir. We aim to become an important supplier by developing production in this field.

"WE HAVE SIGNED THE LARGEST OIL RESERVE IN HISTORY"

Our natural gas and oil exploration activities continue not only within our borders but also beyond. Our Oruc Reis ship has started its operations in Somalia. We expect good news from these activities as well. In Gabar, where we could not conduct exploration due to terrorism, we have signed the largest oil reserve in our history. We are extracting over 57 thousand barrels of oil daily. In 2024, we completed 84 drillings, especially in Şırnak, Hakkari, and Van. We discovered a new reserve of 66 million barrels. Our country's daily oil production is over 155 thousand barrels. We will reach our targeted level by regularly increasing this every year.

"THEY COMMITTED GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL ATROCITIES"

As much as energy supply security, clean energy and climate change are issues that occupy the agenda of all humanity. Everywhere we go from Africa to Asia, we encounter the deep pains left behind by the understanding blinded by money, gold, and silver. The colonizers did not just massacre people; they committed great environmental atrocities. They either destroyed or poisoned the forests, lakes, and air for their material interests. It is a known fact that the seven sisters, the oil companies, have had a hand in many wars and massacres they faced in the last century.

"WE ARE TURNING A 70-YEAR DREAM INTO REALITY"

We adopt a policy that centers on people in every field, including energy, that does not harm nature and has the highest level of responsibility. In the last 22 years, we have made significant investments in energy, signing major projects in areas such as wind, solar, and nuclear. We have increased the share of renewable energy to 60%. With this rate, we are 5th in Europe and 11th in the world. We will increase our wind and solar energy capacity from 31 thousand megawatts to 120 thousand megawatts by 2035.

With the Akkuyu NPP, we are turning the 70-year dream of our nation into reality alongside clean energy. The construction of 4 nuclear reactors is ongoing in accordance with standards. When Akkuyu is operational, it will meet 10% of the country's electricity needs. In addition to the Sinop and Thrace NPP projects, studies are also being conducted on small modular reactors. We never see energy resources as a means of competition, conflict, and exploitation. We believe that energy lines carry not only energy but also stability, security, and peace. Turkey has more than enough to be one of the leading energy trading centers in the world with 7 natural gas pipelines, 4 LNG facilities, 15 entry points, and other advantages. Energy efficiency is one of the important cornerstones that indicate a nation's level of development and civilization.