President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday stressed the critical importance of energy and said recent regional crises highlighted the risks of external dependency, affirming Türkiye's efforts to deploy all resources to ensure self-sufficiency.

"The war between Russia and Ukraine, now surpassing its thousandth day, has particularly highlighted the risks of dependency on foreign energy sources," Erdoğan told the Istanbul Energy Forum.

Still, Türkiye has been one of the countries that best navigated this turbulent period thanks to balanced relations with both warring parties, the president said.

In contrast, European nations have directly felt the energy crisis triggered by the war and faced severe difficulties, he added.

Türkiye has limited oil and natural gas resources and has been investing in explorations for hydrocarbon resources and renewable sources like wind and solar for over a decade to meet its increasing electricity demand.

It has been looking to embrace nuclear power as part of its renewable energy push, seeking to integrate cleaner resources into its energy mix.

The recent challenges have underscored the vital importance of energy supply security, Erdoğan said, stressing that the government attaches great importance on reducing external dependency and alleviating the pressure that energy costs exert on the economy.

"We prioritize ensuring sustainability in energy, reducing dependency on foreign sources, and alleviating our energy costs because, unlike many surrounding countries, we are a nation that must purchase most of its energy from abroad," he noted.

"With the goal of a fully independent Türkiye in energy, we continue on our path with confident steps, without neglecting any area and without yielding to pressures from marginal groups," he added.

Even though there is no current crisis, Erdoğan said "it is always necessary to be prepared to ensure energy supply security."

Hefty energy bill

The president went on to highlight Türkiye's hefty energy import bill, which he says is the biggest burden on the nation's trade deficit.

Türkiye had to pay approximately $70 billion for energy imports only last year. In 2023, crude oil and petroleum product imports reached 49 million tons, and natural gas imports reached 50 billion cubic meters, said Erdoğan.

"This energy bill is the biggest reason for our trade deficit, and it represents a significant amount for any country," he noted.

Ensuring sustainable economic development and growth with such a heavy import item is not easy, he stressed.

"Türkiye has achieved the difficult and, over the past 20 years, has grown by an average of 5.4% per year. Hopefully, in the coming period, we will continue to grow above the world average," he added.

Erdoğan stressed ever-growing energy needs as the population increases, the welfare level rises, and industrialization advances.

"To maintain economic growth, public welfare, and the country's industrialization and development without compromise, we must mobilize all available resources," he said.

Based on these realities, Erdoğan said Türkiye strives to maximize its potential in all areas, from mining to oil and natural gas, and from wind to solar energy.

"No matter what anyone says, we are determined not to make our country dependent on anyone in any field, including energy. We will not back down from this," said the president.

With seven natural gas pipelines, two floating LNG terminals, and 15 entry points, Türkiye has the potential to become one of the world's leading energy trade hubs, according to Erdoğan.

Renewable push

Over more than two decades, Türkiye has been making significant investments in clean and renewable energy and has launched major projects in wind, geothermal, solar, and nuclear energy.

"We have increased the share of renewable energy in our total installed capacity to 60%. With this rate, we are ranked fifth in Europe and 11th in the world," said Erdoğan.

"Our goal is to be among the top three in Europe and the top nine in the world by 2025."

Current installed wind and solar energy capacity stands at 31,000 megawatts (MW), a figure that Erdoğan says is aimed to be increased to 120,000 megawatts by 2035.

Türkiye plans to build at least three nuclear power plants for 15,000 megawatts of nuclear generation capacity. It aims to complement these with up to 5,000 MW of small modular reactors (SMRs) to diversify its electricity production mix.

A four-reactor plant, Akkuyu, is under construction in the Mediterranean region and is being built by Russian conglomerate Rosatom. Türkiye plans a second one in the Black Sea province of Sinop and a third in the northwest region of Thrace.

Once fully operational, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will meet 10% of Türkiye's electricity needs and prevent the annual import of 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 35 million tons of carbon emissions, he noted.

"With the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant project, we are not only realizing our nation's 70-year dream but also providing clean energy," he said.

"One of the reasons we are turning to nuclear energy is that it does not have a negative impact on the climate crisis."

The goal is to reach a nuclear energy capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2050, Erdoğan said.