Türkiye has entered a new era in its energy policies, defined as an “electrification-centered new energy architecture, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Kalyon PV G12R TOPCONPLUS Production Facility, Bayraktar said: “We aim to build a more resilient structure against potential crises, as in the case of Hormuz.”
Highlighting Türkiye’s major leap in renewable energy, Bayraktar remarked: “We have carried out what can be described as a silent revolution in the field of renewable energy.”
He noted that the share of renewables in total installed capacity has reached 63 percent.
“In March, we achieved a record by generating 20 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from renewable sources — the highest ever. According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Türkiye ranks among the top five in Europe and 11th worldwide in terms of installed renewable energy capacity, he said.
Bayraktar continued: “In solar energy alone, we have reached an installed capacity of approximately 26,478 megawatts over the past 13 years. By the end of this year, solar will surpass hydro and take the lead in total installed capacity.”
He also stated that last year, around 8,300 megawatts of new wind and solar capacity were commissioned, and this year, under the auspices of Türkiye’s COP31 presidency, they are working to announce a much more ambitious target to the world.
Emphasizing that energy security is being reshaped with a focus on electrification, Bayraktar said: “We are working on a new energy architecture centered on electrification. With the new program that we will share with the public in the coming months, we aim for a more resilient, more flexible and increasingly digitalized energy infrastructure.”
Bayraktar also drew attention to the importance of domestic production in renewable energy investments.
“We are increasing domestic production not only in energy generation but also in equipment manufacturing. With the Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) model, local content requirements were introduced. The number of domestic manufacturers in the sector has risen to about 500. Together with main equipment producers and sub-suppliers, employment has reached 50,000 people,” he noted.
He underlined the importance of YEKA tenders in achieving targets, noting that last year a total of 3,800 megawatts of YEKA tenders were completed. Bayraktar added that in solar and wind, the goal is to hold YEKA tenders for at least 2,000 megawatts every year.
