Türkiye will launch its first offshore wind tender in the first quarter of 2027, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.
The government sees offshore wind among Türkiye's most strategic renewable energy priorities. It aims to install 5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power capacity by 2035.
The country has already designated four areas as installation sites, including the Saros Gulf, areas near the islands of Gökçeada, Bozcaada and the region off the coast of Edremit.
A draft tender specification for the offshore Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) auction has been published in the announcements section of the Energy Ministry's website.
Industry representatives, investors and relevant organizations can submit their views on the draft specification until Aug. 17. A final tender specification will be prepared based on the feedback received.
Bayraktar said Türkiye would send a message to the world on its offshore wind ambitions ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will be held in Antalya in November.
He noted that Türkiye would announce details of its first offshore wind YEKA ahead of COP31.
"We will announce the tender in September and hold the offshore YEKA auction in the first quarter of 2027," Bayraktar stated.
"This tender will be a first for our energy sector. Our target is to reach 5,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity by 2035," he said.
"We do not see offshore wind merely as a new energy source. We also see it as an area that will make a balanced contribution to our country's security of supply, support our domestic industry and increase qualified employment," Bayraktar added.
Türkiye has, in recent years, intensified efforts to identify offshore wind energy zones, particularly in the northwestern part of the country.
Compared with onshore plants, offshore wind farms involve higher investment and maintenance costs, but they can generate electricity with fewer interruptions.
The YEKA scheme was introduced in 2016 to facilitate land allocation for investors, ease the deployment of large projects and encourage the domestic production of renewable energy technologies.
The government later unveiled updates to the model to draw greater investor interest. Key enhancements included simplifying post-tender permitting procedures and introducing financial incentives like exemptions from transmission fees.
Türkiye has so far held YEKA auctions totaling 7,800 MW and allocated an additional 3,800 MW of capacity in 2024 and 2025 under the updated auction model.
The country’s total installed capacity now exceeds 125,000 MW, and over 60% of this consists of renewable sources. Wind power capacity stands at more than 15,000 MW, while solar capacity has reached over 26,000 MW.
It plans to organize at least 2,000 MW of YEKA competitions every year, as it aims to raise combined wind and solar installed capacity to 120,000 megawatts by 2035.
