Türkiye holds a strategic position in the global energy equation due to its natural resources, geographical location and proximity to hydrocarbon reserves, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday.
"As a key transit route, Türkiye plays a crucial role in ensuring supply and procurement security. Türkiye’s energy security is a matter of global importance," Erdoğan told the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES 2025).
The event was hosted by Türkiye's leading media group and Daily Sabah's parent company, Turkuvaz Media, under the auspices of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.
It gathered senior energy and mining officials from around the world and focused on international cooperation in critical minerals, hydrocarbons and long-term resource security amid the global energy transition.
Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye's strategic goal to reduce heavy external energy dependency, highlighting progress on natural gas exploration in the Black Sea and seismic surveys in the Aegean and Mediterranean.
In recent years, Türkiye has discovered a vast natural gas field in the Black Sea and found a major oil reserve in the Gabar region of the southeastern province of Şırnak.
The country is almost entirely dependent on imports to cover its energy needs, which left it vulnerable to rising costs that surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Türkiye has still managed to undertake numerous initiatives to contribute to regional energy security to help alleviate the energy crisis faced by European countries, Erdoğan said.
"The goals of our national energy policies are clear: reducing dependence on foreign sources of energy and mining. With the discoveries in the Black Sea and Gabar, we have made a breakthrough in this field," he said.
"Now, we are taking these achievements to the next level. We aim to establish Türkiye as a global player in natural gas and oil exploration."
Daily crude production in the Gabar region has surpassed 81,000 barrels, according to Erdoğan. That figure is expected to be lifted to 100,000 barrels soon, according to officials.
Şırnak had long been a victim of PKK terrorist attacks and has suffered from underdevelopment for decades. Years of counterterrorism operations eventually enabled a major transformation of the region, which is now home to one of the country's most important oil reserves.
"With the dedicated efforts we have put into establishing a terror-free Türkiye, once we achieve the desired outcome, we will be writing an entirely new chapter," said Erdoğan.
He noted that nationwide daily oil production had reached a record 135,000 barrels by March 2025. "So far, more than 26 million barrels have been produced in Gabar, with a total value approaching $2 billion," he added.
In the Black Sea, daily gas production from the Sakarya Gas Field is expected to reach 20 million cubic meters per day by 2026, with a goal of doubling that figure by 2028, Erdoğan said.
The reserve off the northwestern Zonguldak province is estimated to contain 710 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas. It was gradually discovered between 2020 and 2022. Daily production is expected to have risen to 9.5 mcm as of the end of April.
Türkiye is pumping gas into the national grid through a pipeline linked to an onshore processing facility. The reserve will meet approximately 30% of the nation's annual gas needs once the production reaches its peak.
In 2023, Türkiye acquired a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform, which is expected to be operational by 2026 and help Türkiye double its gas output.
"In 2026, we aim for a combined daily production of approximately 20 million cubic meters in Phase 1 and Phase 2," Erdoğan said. "By 2028, our goal is to increase daily production in the Sakarya Gas Field to 40 million cubic meters."
Erdoğan went on to say that Türkiye is set to deliver the first electricity from its first nuclear power plant by the end of 2025.
The $20 billion, 4,800 megawatt (MW) Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will bring Türkiye into the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy. A four-reactor plant, Akkuyu is under construction in the Mediterranean region and is being built by the Russian conglomerate Rosatom.
Türkiye also plans a second nuclear plant in the Black Sea province of Sinop and a third in the northwest region of Thrace.
"The construction of the first reactor of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is nearing completion. We have finished assembling the turbine for the first reactor and successfully rotated its shaft, marking a significant milestone," Erdoğan said.
"By the end of this year, we will begin test production and deliver the first electricity from Akkuyu."
With the completion of the remaining reactors, the plant is expected to be operating at full capacity by 2028, the president said. Once fully operational, it is projected to lower Türkiye's annual gas imports by 7 billion cubic meters, resulting in savings of approximately $2.5 billion, according to Erdoğan.
A major new objective is to bring Turkmen gas to Türkiye and Europe through a pipeline across the Caspian Sea, Erdoğan said.
Türkiye has already begun receiving gas from Turkmenistan via Iran, totaling more than 250 million cubic meters to date. The total flow is expected to reach 1.3 bcm by year-end, the president said. The government aims to extend the current agreement by another five years, he added.
"Our ultimate goal is to bring Turkmen gas to our country through a Caspian-transit pipeline. If we can accomplish this, we will have the opportunity to ensure a much higher volume of gas flow for both our country and Europe," Erdoğan said.
In the new period, the president said the Turkish energy sector would establish new collaborations across the globe, making unparalleled contributions to energy security.
He announced that they are working to sign a cooperation agreement with Malaysian national oil and gas company Petronas in four different areas. He did not elaborate further.
Türkiye also aims to begin the first production this year at one of the gold fields in Niger, he added.
