Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Bayraktar Participated in AA Editorial Desk

Minister Bayraktar answered the questions of Anadolu Agency General Manager Serdar Karagöz and agency executives on the agenda as a guest at the Anadolu Agency Editorial Desk. 

Cost Based Model

Stating that they provide very serious support to citizens in electricity and natural gas bills through the treasury, Bayraktar said, “60 percent of the thousand lira gas and electricity bill is still covered by our state. We will continue to provide these supports within the budget possibilities. We will continue to protect our citizens against rising prices across the world.”

Emphasizing the need to use the support mechanism more effectively while doing this, Bayraktar said, “We think it is more accurate to reflect it on a cost basis to consumers with high income groups who can bear the real cost. We are considering a model in which our citizens in real need, low-income citizens, pensioners benefit from this support, and citizens whose consumption is above a certain rate meet the real costs instead of benefiting from these supports.”

10 Million Cubic Meters Target

Bayraktar explained that the Black Sea gas is the largest natural gas discovery in the history of the Republic and said, “We have reached production that will meet the natural gas needs of 2.6 million households. We have exceeded 6 million cubic meters per day. By the end of September, we will exceed 7 million cubic meters. We will reach the 10 million cubic meters target in the first phase in the first quarter of 2025 and eventually supply 4 million households with natural gas from here.”

Black Sea Gas to 8 Million Households

Explaining that the floating production platform, which set off from Singapore, is currently in the Mediterranean and will be in Türkiye on the 26-27th of this month, Bayraktar said, “It has some operations in Çanakkale. Then it will come to Filyos. In mid-2026, we will send this platform to Sakarya Gas Field. When we establish the base, 10 million cubic meters will come from here. In mid-2026, we will reach a total daily production of 20 million cubic meters. We will meet the needs of 8 million households from here.”

Latest on Gabar

Bayraktar mentioned that they think there is a reserve of one billion barrels in Şırnak Gabar and said, “As of today, we have reached 47 thousand barrels per day. Hopefully, we will reach 50 thousand in October. Geographically, they are also difficult places. We have traveled about 500 kilometers in the mountains so far.” 

FSRU Project with Egypt

Reminding that relations with Egypt have recently normalized, Bayraktar said, “Türkiye has interest and interest in Egypt, especially in offshore gas fields. We are working on a project related to our Floating LNG Storage and Gasification Unit (FSRU) vessels for their gas supply.” 

Signs of Oil in Somalia

Bayraktar reported that the Oruç Reis ship will go to Somalia at the end of this month or early October to carry out seismic activities in Somalia's marine areas, and said, “It would be irrelevant to talk about a discovery before the seismic studies are completed, analyzed and drilled. With the first data at the moment, we are starting an exploration activity with oil indications in the offshore of Somalia.”

Export Option for LNG

Referring to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) agreement signed with Shell, Bayraktar said that Türkiye can export the LNG cargo to other countries if it does not need it.

There May Be a New Line

Bayraktar explained that the Iraq-Türkiye Oil Pipeline has been ready to be operational for about a year and said, “Not even a barrel of oil has flowed yet. As Türkiye, we always express that we are ready to contribute here. Some of the oil that will come from Iraq through this new oil pipeline that may be formed within the scope of the Development Road may turn into refinery and petrochemical investments in Ceyhan, and thus into something that can create a much larger value chain. Then it becomes a project that will really turn into a Development Road.”

Price Must Be Paid

Noting that the construction of 4 reactors at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant continues at the same time, Bayraktar said, “We are going through a process in which the construction of the first reactor is over 90 percent complete. But we have difficulties. There is a slowdown in construction due to Siemens' approach regarding the equipment and parts used in the switchyard, which ensure the transmission of electricity. The relevant parts have been ordered to China by the Russian company.”

Capacity Allocation through Competition

Bayraktar stated that after the opening of the Parliament, they will bring to the agenda a study that will facilitate the permit processes related to renewable energy investments and said, “Apart from the current capacity of 80 thousand megawatts, we aim to hold a capacity allocation tender of 2 thousand to 2 thousand 500 megawatts every year. In other words, we will announce the capacities. Companies that meet certain conditions and have certain financial capabilities, including international investors and our local entrepreneurs, will enter these tenders and we will allocate these 2 thousand to 2 thousand 500 hundred megawatts of capacity every year in this way.” 

Strategically More Valuable

Reminding that the world's second largest reserve of rare earth elements in a single field was discovered in Eskişehir, Bayraktar said, “It is one of the areas that can be a game changer in the economy of our country. It is as valuable as the Sakarya Gas field discovery. Strategically, it may be even more valuable than that. We are working on purifying it using its technology and transforming it into the final product, in this sense, into the final raw material. In this sense, we will have meetings in China. But we are also in talks with a few different countries about partnership in this technology.”