Four offshore wind zones identified as candidate YEKA areas

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has designated four offshore wind zones as candidate Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) as part of its strategy to expand renewable energy capacity, according to a statement published on the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry’s website.
The identified locations include offshore areas near Bozcaada, Edremit, Gökçeada and Saros. These zones have been selected following assessments conducted under the YEKA Regulation.
While the areas have been classified as candidate YEKA zones, the ministry has initiated detailed studies to determine their suitability for full YEKA designation.
Earlier this week, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar emphasized that offshore wind energy will be a key strategic focus for Türkiye in the coming years.
“Once the permitting processes are completed, we will hold Türkiye’s first offshore wind YEKA tender. We aim to reach a capacity of 5,000 megawatts in offshore wind by 2035,” Bayraktar said.
The minister also highlighted the government’s broader renewable energy roadmap, underlining the importance of wind power in the upcoming period.
He stressed that “2026 will truly be the year of wind.”
A total of 1,500 megawatts of YEKA tenders will be allocated for wind power, according to the minister.
Meanwhile, İbrahim Erden, chair of the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TÜREB), noted that the timeline for tenders will be critical in meeting long-term targets.
According to Erden, if tenders are held toward the end of this year or in early 2027, Türkiye could begin commissioning approximately 1 gigawatt of offshore wind capacity annually starting from 2030.