Erdoğan: Energy security is a matter of survival for all nations

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared that securing energy supplies has become a matter of survival for nearly every nation, linking global geopolitical tensions to the competition for energy resources.

Speaking at an event focused on renewable energy investment, Erdoğan said issues such as supply security, energy diplomacy and diversification are now viewed not merely as technical matters, but as critical elements of national security, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media. 

“You cannot separate the escalation of tensions across regions — from Africa to Asia, from the Middle East to Latin America — from the global race for energy,” the Turkish leader said.

Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s ambition to boost its installed capacity of solar and wind power to 120,000 megawatts by 2035, stressing the importance of reducing energy imports and easing the national electricity bill. “Our goal is to cut imports, lower energy costs, and ultimately turn Türkiye into a net exporter of resources and technology,” he added.

He also highlighted recent developments in the Black Sea and Gabar region, where the discovery of new energy fields has significantly altered the country’s energy landscape. “The Akkuyu nuclear power plant has taken our country to a new level,” Erdoğan said.

The Akkuyu plant, currently under construction in the southern province of Mersin, is Türkiye’s first nuclear power facility. The site will house four reactors of the Russian-designed Generation III+ VVER type, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts.

Türkiye, he added, has completed all preparations for issuing permits for solar and wind energy projects and intends to streamline related regulations. “We expect the necessary legislative adjustments to be discussed in parliament as soon as possible,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev