Rising global uncertainty changes energy policies— Turkey’s Energy Minister

(MENAFN) Türkiye’s minister of energy and natural resources said on Saturday that growing international instability and geopolitical pressures are significantly influencing national energy strategies, underlining that firm political commitment and cross-border cooperation are critical to overcoming emerging challenges.

Speaking during a ministerial panel titled “Strategic Partnerships: Positioning Libya as a Global Energy Leader” at the Libya Energy and Economy Summit (LEES) 2026 in Tripoli, Alparslan Bayraktar stressed that ensuring reliable energy supply remains Türkiye’s foremost priority.

He explained that the country’s energy consumption has risen dramatically over the last 20 years and is projected to increase threefold over the next three decades. He cautioned, however, that new drivers such as artificial intelligence, expanding data centers, and rising cooling requirements are not yet fully accounted for in current forecasts.

“Most likely, the demand is going to grow even more than triple. So, that’s why we need to address this growing demand,” he said.

Bayraktar also pointed to heavy reliance on imported energy as a key vulnerability, noting that Türkiye sources substantial amounts of natural gas, oil, and coal from international markets.

In addition, he highlighted the country’s climate ambitions, recalling that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated Türkiye’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the early 2050s.

According to Bayraktar, Ankara is advancing a broad and integrated energy policy designed to simultaneously strengthen supply security, reduce external dependence, and meet climate objectives, with renewable energy forming the backbone of this approach.

“We have a great potential of solar, wind, geothermal and biogas. Every single year, we are adding 8 to 9 gigawatts of new solar and wind energy to our energy mix,” he said, adding that Türkiye is also rolling out an extensive energy efficiency initiative.

Nuclear energy was identified as another cornerstone of the country’s long-term planning. Bayraktar noted that construction is underway on four reactors at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.

“This year, our first reactor will be online. We will generate electricity from our first nuclear reactor,” he said.

MENAFN25012026000045017281ID1110647142