The world's fourth largest fleet
TEKNOFEST, the aviation, space, and technology festival that first took place in 2018, was once again flooded with visitors this year. Featuring technology competitions, air shows, concerts, and various talks and events, TEKNOFEST 2025 featured competitions in 58 main categories and 137 subcategories.
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources also had a stand at the festival, which attracted considerable interest from young people. Minister Alparslan Bayraktar visited the stand, received information from officials, and chatted with participants.
“WE WILL GROW THIS ORGANIZATION EVEN BIGGER”
Meeting with young people, Minister Bayraktar recalled the Nuclear Energy Technologies Design Competition held for the first time last year as part of the festival, and stated that he had the opportunity to hear from the top four projects in Çekmece, Istanbul. Bayraktar noted the competition's significance for Türkiye's nuclear future and stated that they would expand the organization in the coming years.
Bayraktar noted that the world is rapidly electrifying and its need for energy is increasing, making clean and domestic resources increasingly important. He said, "We are trying to find a solution to this problem. That's why all the competitions held here, especially the one in nuclear technology, are important to us in this regard."
Bayraktar emphasized the importance of energy efficiency in ending dependence on foreign energy sources, saying, "We need a Türkiye that uses its energy efficiently. We absolutely must be at the highest level in generating electricity from renewable energy—our own clean resources: wind, solar, offshore wind, geothermal, and biomass."
He touched upon the importance of nuclear energy
Bayraktar, emphasizing the importance of nuclear energy here, said, "Turkey, like many developed countries worldwide, absolutely must have nuclear power. We absolutely must provide a very important source of power, such as clean, uninterrupted baseload nuclear power, alongside intermittent sources. Our first reactors are now being built in Akkuyu. We have reached over 90% completion of the first reactor."
Bayraktar emphasized that minerals are the most important raw material for economic life, saying, "The skill lies not in extracting minerals as they are, but in transforming them into final products. Therefore, we aim to integrate our minerals into our economy in a value-added way."
Addressing young people at the end of his speech, Minister Bayraktar said, “You are a hope for our country, for our future, and for our bright future. We believe that Türkiye's future will be much brighter with your efforts. We are ready to support you in every way.”
“WE THINK THE SHALE GAS PROJECT COULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR Türkiye”
Bayraktar also commented on the exploration activities underway in Diyarbakır, which are described as shale gas or shale oil: “We are conducting exploration activities in four fields in Diyarbakır using unconventional fracturing technology with a foreign partner. Vertical fracturing will be completed by the end of this year, and horizontal fracturing will be completed in the first quarter of 2026. We believe this project could be a game-changer for Türkiye.”
TENMAK'S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROJECT FOR CHILDREN
The Energy, Nuclear and Mining Research Council of Türkiye (TENMAK) is developing artificial intelligence, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)-based projects to instill in children a love of nuclear energy and renewable energy sources.
Gökay Gökçe, the institution's Information Services Coordinator, said in a statement, "Under the leadership of our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, we are developing technological projects for children to promote our institution and the energy sector. Our artificial intelligence project, in particular, is attracting significant interest. We've already generated over 1,500 minutes of engagement on just one project. Reaching this level at the very beginning of the festival is promising for the future."
Gökay also stated, "It's impossible for a human being to talk for 1,500 minutes, but artificial intelligence offers a great example for our children in this regard. We will continue to promote the energy sector and raise awareness in this area."
Minister Bayraktar tested BASTEM, a platform developed by TEMSAN that generates electricity through motion.
SPECIAL STATEMENTS FROM MINISTER BAYRAKTAR TO GAS&POWEREnergy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar later responded to Gas&Power's question. Bayraktar noted that oil exploration and production efforts are continuing intensively, emphasizing that transitioning discovered reserves into production is among his top priorities.
Bayraktar said, "We are producing the gas we find in the Black Sea at the Sakarya Gas Field. Next year, at TEKNOFEST, our Black Sea production will have doubled today. By 2028, we aim to announce that we have quadrupled this production."
NEW SEARCHES ARE BEING MADE
Minister Bayraktar also stated that the goal is to increase oil production in the Gabar region, but that new reserve discoveries are needed. He noted that new exploration activities are underway onshore in Hakkari, Van, Şırnak, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Batman, Adıyaman, and Thrace. Minister Bayraktar also noted that offshore exploration activities are continuing, saying, “This year, we discovered natural gas with a market value of approximately $30 billion in the Göktepe well. We will also bring this gas into production.”
THE NAMES OF THE NEW SHIPS ARE A SUBJECT OF CURIOUS INTEREST
Bayraktar also shared the latest developments regarding the addition of two new vessels to Türkiye's deepwater drilling fleet. Minister Bayraktar stated, "We have two new deepwater drilling vessels arriving. One is arriving in the Mediterranean soon. The other will be in Turkey for operations in the Black Sea, likely towards the end of the year. With this development, Türkiye's drilling fleet will increase from four to six. This will make Turkey the country with the fourth-largest fleet in the world."
The vessels in Türkiye's current deepwater drilling fleet are also notable for their names. The four vessels currently operating in the fleet are named Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni, and Abdülhamid Han, respectively. These vessels are named after Ottoman sultans.
Bayraktar stated that no decision has yet been made on the names of the new ships, saying, "The names haven't been finalized yet. We're working on them. I think we'll share the names of our new ships with the public, ones that will befit our four existing ships."
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