Türkiye to expand cooperation with China

Alparslan Bayraktar, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, gave an interview to CGTN Türk, where he discussed the growing energy cooperation between Türkiye and China.

Bayraktar emphasised that the two countries can collaborate in various regions of the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans. He noted that concrete projects are already taking shape, including Türkiye’s first offshore wind farm, which could be developed jointly with Chinese companies. China may also contribute to the expansion of the country’s power grid and to the construction of a nuclear power plant, alongside a data centre supported by renewable energy.

Talks are also underway on how to utilise Türkiye’s newly discovered rare earth reserves, while cooperation in oil and natural gas continues. Bayraktar underlined that the country provides significant opportunities in energy storage, with Chinese companies considering battery production in the country.

“It may be possible to turn Türkiye into a second production base and expand easily into other geographies by leveraging Türkiye’s logistical advantages, especially in a world marked by trade wars, sanctions and barriers,” said the Minister. “We are a country that hosts such opportunities. In this sense, we are looking at renewable and other projects in ways that will make our cooperation more permanent and long-term. In other words, we say, ‘Come and manufacture solar panels in Türkiye, manufacture wind turbines here.’ Our infrastructure is ready for this”.