Daily output at the Gabar oil field in southeastern Türkiye, the region once associated with terrorism, has reached a fresh record, a top official said in a statement on Thursday.
The output at the field, described as the "hub" of the country's production, reached a record 83,300 barrels per day (bpd), Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a written statement shared by his ministry.
The Gabar oil field in Şırnak, which has "transformed into Türkiye's oil production hub, has once again broken its own record," the ministry said.
The minister linked the increase in production with the "terror-free Türkiye" initiative, an ongoing process which aims to permanently rid Türkiye of the terrorist threat.
The draft bill on the issue dubbed "The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion" was submitted to Parliament on Wednesday.
"With the terror-free Türkiye process, Gabar has become the address of production, employment and hope. We have showcased a small glimpse of what a Türkiye without terrorism can bring to our country in Gabar," Bayraktar said.
"When we extend this to all of Türkiye and the entire region, God willing, the future of Türkiye and the entire region, the future of our people and our nation, will be much brighter," he added.
Officials have often in the past underscored the heavy burden of terrorism on the country's economy, underlining the potential for the process to unlock new opportunities and investment as well as redirecting resources into other areas instead of counter-terrorism efforts.
Gabar, once associated with terrorism, has shifted its focus to production after the region was cleared of terrorism. The atmosphere of security and peace established in the region has paved the way for the state-run Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) to conduct seismic surveys and drilling operations freely, according to the ministry.
TPAO initially began production at the Şehit Esma Çevik field in the region in 2021 and subsequently expanded operations through further discoveries and drilling at several nearby fields.
The oil discovery made in the Gabar region in 2021 is regarded as the "largest oil discovery in the history of the republic."
"Through the fields in Gabar, where production is increasing day by day, a total of over 50 million barrels of crude oil has been produced from 2021 to the present," the ministry said.
"We will continue to work tirelessly to increase production and continue to be a source of hope for the future of our citizens," Bayraktar pledged.
Apart from efforts to boost oil and gas production in the country, Ankara, largely through TPAO, is also working on expanding international partnerships and exploration.
