Turkey plans major boost to mining and critical mineral projects to secure energy supply

Turkey's upcoming 2027-2029 Medium-Term Program outlines a comprehensive strategy to strengthen energy security through expanded mining and domestic resource development. The government intends to boost exploration, increase production, and enhance value-added processing of local minerals, while also diversifying energy sources and expanding storage facilities. Regulatory reforms will aim to lower dependence on imported critical and strategic minerals and to foster domestic manufacturing of related technologies.

Research and development will focus on clean-coal technologies, including gasification, carbon capture and storage, and advanced carbon products, alongside projects to localize critical equipment for the energy and mining sectors. The plan calls for greater output and export of high-value boron products and accelerated use of rare-earth elements. İbrahim Halil Kırşan, head of the Mining Council of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye, welcomed the 139 % increase in exploration funding by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, noting the shift toward unlocking Turkey's mining potential and adding value domestically.