Türkiye aims for full energy independence, Erdoğan says

At the 11th Energy Efficiency Forum and Exhibition in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s goal of achieving complete energy independence.

He pointed to a recent nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States as a key step in that direction.

Erdoğan stated that Türkiye is diversifying its energy mix and increasing investment in domestic reserves. “As in all other areas, we will continue to work until we achieve our goal of a fully energy-independent Türkiye,” he said.

He noted that current oil consumption is approximately 1 million barrels per day, with only 160,000 barrels coming from domestic production, and stressed the urgency of reducing energy imports despite discoveries of natural gas in the Black Sea.

He also mentioned Türkiye’s plans to expand its fleet, accelerate seismic exploration and drilling, and highlighted the role of nuclear power — including the Akkuyu plant and further cooperation with the U.S. on advanced reactors and small modular reactors — as part of long-term supply security over the next 20–30 years.