Boydak Holding board member and CEO Alpaslan Baki Ertekin elaborated on the company's energy investments as well as targets and strategies for the upcoming year at the Energy and Mining Forum. Pointing out that Boydak supplied electricity to 185,650 homes in 2017, Ertekin added, "This means our company is meeting the energy needs of a whole metropolis. Our investments will continue. We're proud of our contributions to the nation's economy."

In replying to much anticipated questions about their targets and strategies for the year ahead as well as existing planned investments, Ertekin commented that global giants have taken notice of the sizable investments taken on by Turkey over the past 15 years, and each domestic and national industrial investment has brought Turkey one step closer to independence. Ertekin added that in 2016, Turkey consumed over 278 kilowatts of energy, made sizable gains in the energy sector and set up 22 new power plants, and further noted: "While Turkey is making its mark as a rising power, Boydak Holding with 34 companies in seven different industries, continues to support the nation's economy through contributions to employment, foreign currency supply and innovative production. Boydak Energy Production and Trade Co. commenced activities in 2010 under the Boydak Holding umbrella to only produce domestic and renewable electrical energy without the use of finite fossil fuels. Considering that a family of four consumes 3 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy annually, and our company produced 556,952 MWh in 2017, it means that we met the energy needs of 185,650 households for the year. In short, this means our company is meeting the energy needs of a whole metropolis."

4 NEW POWER PLANTS ON THE WAY

Ertekin explained that currently, power plants in 11 cities are in service, while three more cities are planned for service "We are expanding our targets each passing day. Currently work is in progress for setting up four more power plants in three new cities. By employing 245 personnel at our power plants, we contribute to the nation's economy."

The company's plans for raising the 45 megawatt installed capacity of the Çanta RES project set up in 2014 in Istanbul's Silivri region to 50 megawatts through an application for increasing the installed capacity was underlined by Ertekin, who also added that the company had followed up on plans to diversify investments by adding solar energy projects to their portfolio and founded the Gun Solar Energy Electric Production Industry and Trade Company in February 2012 toward this end.

INITIATING SIBELRES PROJECT CONSTRUCTION

Ertekin explained that project development initiatives led to the attainment of the connection rights of the Van Arısu Solar Energy Plant and Antalya Akseki Buyukalan1 Solar Energy Plant with a total of 68.4 megawatt (MW) installed power capacity through bids for solar energy tenders in 2015, and that the pre-license permits have been attained through the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), adding: "Our primary goal for 2018 is to produce 600,000 MW to complete the approval processes for our Solar Energy Power Plant projects and to attain their production licenses. We expect to initiate the Sibel Wind Power Plant project's construction for 80 MWe/102 MWm installed power capacity, and to finalize the approval processes for the Omerlires project. Plans include a 253 MWe installed capacity power plant for 2018-2020. Currently our estimated investments are $372 million. After the completion of our investments, we expect annual $109.7 million revenue from a total of 1,275,760 MW production."

"In line with our country's 2023 growth and development goals, our company is doing its share to support that growth by actualizing all of the projects in our portfolio by the end of 2020 in order to reach the targeted 502.75 megawatt installed power," Alpaslan Baki Ertekin added that the company were targeting TL 174 million ($46 million) for this year and said, "While projects shall continue nonstop with TL 750 million existing capital, we shall gain speed on our targets and enjoy the honor of enriching Turkey's economy and employment."