China's rare earth dominance spurs Türkiye's strategic partnership with Beijing

Bloomberg highlights that China has firmly established itself as a dominant force in the mining and refining of rare earth elements—essential materials used in technologies ranging from wind turbines to military equipment and electric vehicles.

Türkiye is aiming to collaborate with China to develop a rare earth element deposit, a partnership that could enhance Türkiye's attractiveness to Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers. Ankara is preparing to send Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to China in October for advanced negotiations, according to sources familiar with the plans who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the details.

This move follows Türkiye's formal application to join the BRICS group, which includes China and Russia. Türkiye hopes this initiative will attract Chinese companies, such as BYD Co., the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, to consider establishing battery production facilities in the country.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed this potential cooperation with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Kazakhstan in early July. The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources declined to comment, and China’s Ministry of Commerce has not responded to requests for comment. 

Two years ago, Türkiye identified a significant rare earth element reserve in Beylikova, near Eskisehir in central Anatolia. The Turkish Energy Ministry has indicated its readiness to build a refinery at the site. “We are moving forward with plans to establish an industrial-scale facility that will position Türkiye as a key player in the global rare earth elements supply chain,” stated Türkiye’s Industry and Technology Minister Fatih Kacir last month.

He emphasised the country's ambition to engage fully in the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished electric vehicles and batteries. Over the past thirty years, China has established a leading position in both mining and refining rare earth elements—a group of 17 crucial materials used in a range of applications from wind turbines and military equipment to electric vehicles.