Türkiye has emerged as a global frontrunner in renewable energy, with over 60% of its total energy capacity now coming from green sources, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at the 11th Energy Efficiency Forum and Exhibition in Istanbul.
Highlighting the country’s remarkable progress, Erdogan said Türkiye has improved energy intensity by 32% since 2002 — reducing the energy consumed per product or service by one-third. “While the global average improvement is around 1% annually, Türkiye has achieved 4.5%,” he noted, adding that this positions the nation among the fastest in enhancing energy efficiency.
Türkiye currently ranks 5th globally with four active drilling and two seismic-research vessels, and is expected to rise to 4th place with the addition of new exploration vessels. The president also emphasized the country’s growing independence in energy, noting that 160,000 barrels of oil are now produced domestically out of a daily consumption of one million barrels.
On the nuclear front, Erdogan reaffirmed that Türkiye will soon generate its first electricity from the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, with additional nuclear projects under discussion. Türkiye’s Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with the United States aims to advance collaboration on next-generation reactor technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs).
Economically, Erdogan projected that Türkiye’s GDP will reach $1.9 trillion by 2028, with exports climbing to $300 billion and tourism revenues exceeding $70 billion. With a forecasted population of 94 million by 2050, the president acknowledged that the nation’s rising prosperity will drive further energy demand — which reached 53.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2024 and is expected to grow to 59.5 billion cubic meters in 2025.
He concluded by reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to energy security and sustainability: “We are determined to strengthen our energy independence, enhance efficiency, and lead the world in renewable and clean energy investments.”
