Turkey has nearly tripled its installed power capacity in energy from 2002 to date, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said Sunday.

Erdoğan’s remarks came in a videoconference during a mass launching ceremony of hydroelectric power plants.

Erdoğan said the country has managed to increase its installed power capacity from around 31,000 megawatts (MW) in 2002 to over 91,000 MW in 2020.

The president stressed that the hydroelectric plants, which will add to Turkey’s energy, were symbols of development and growth.

"These are the springboards of civilization for us. Turkey, which continues its investments in almost every area during the pandemic period, has thus demonstrated its determination to reach the 2023 targets. It is not possible for a country without the energy to talk about civilization, it is not possible to talk about development, it is not possible to talk about industrialization. We have shown that we are not surrendering to the pandemic by supporting investment, production and employment at a time when the whole world is closing in on itself," Erdoğan noted.

He stressed that Turkey was among the leading countries in renewable energy in the world.

"We are 13th in the world in renewable energy installed capacity and sixth in Europe. We are ninth in the world in hydroelectric and second in Europe, 12th in the world in wind and seventh in Europe, 14th in the world in solar and seventh in Europe, while in geothermal, we rank fourth in the world and are first in Europe," Erdoğan said.

The president further said the country will open its very first national integrated solar panel factory in August as part of its efforts to strengthen the nation's power grid.

"We ensured over $100 billion has been invested in energy by the public and private sectors over the past 18 years" since the ruling party came to power, Erdoğan said.

In the first five months of 2020, Turkey boosted its electricity production from domestic and renewable sources to 66%, he said, adding that last year Turkey was second place in Europe in the production of electrical energy based on renewable resources.

Also speaking at the event, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Dönmez said Turkey was second in Europe in terms of hydraulic installed power.

"Step by step, we are moving to be a leader," Dönmez said, adding that the country has jumped to third place in Europe in renewable energy capacity growth since 2017, when the country announced its national energy and mining policy.

He said the country has put into use 52 hydroelectric plants in 26 different cities over the last two years.

The plants of around 1,439 MW were built with an investment of about TL 11.3 billion ($1.65 billion), Dönmez said.

"Our installed power, which was 31,000 MW in 2002, has increased to over 91,000 MW today. We have tripled our energy and power," Dönmez added.