Türkiye aiming for carbon neutrality in 30 years: Energy minister

Türkiye is aiming to become a carbon-neutral economy within 30 years, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.

"This is a more difficult target than the others because it will actually affect the whole economy...Our carbon target is an area that will transform energy from the ground up," Bayraktar said at the 6th Turkish-German Energy Forum in Berlin, co-hosted with German Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck.

Bayraktar announced plans for $100 billion in renewable energy investments by 2035, calling on experienced and new German investors to partner in Türkiye's energy transition. He highlighted the country's roadmap to expand wind and solar energy capacity from 31,000 megawatts to 120,000 megawatts by 2035.

Addressing nuclear energy's role in decarbonization, Bayraktar said Türkiye aims to develop its nuclear capacity by 2050. He said with the opening of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in the south, Türkiye will meet 10% of its electricity needs from nuclear energy.

- TÜRKIYE AS PARTNER IN TRADE, ENERGY

Habeck praised Türkiye as a partner in trade and energy, emphasizing its geographical advantage and energy potential. He stressed the importance of leveraging shared experiences and advancing collaborative projects through established frameworks.

"Türkiye is one of the major countries with which we want to establish more trade and energy partnerships," he said.

Following the ceremony, Bayraktar and Habeck held bilateral talks and participated in a roundtable with energy executives.

As part of the meetings, several agreements were signed, including on partnerships for wind turbine installations and joint research.