Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, in his statements within the scope of the 15th Turkish Wind Energy Congress (TÜREK 2026), announced that Turkey has taken revolutionary steps towards energy independence. Stating that they are carrying out a “multi-layered strategy”, Minister Bayraktar emphasized that Turkey is one of the rare countries that does not have problems in energy supply today, and drew attention to the critical role of wind energy in this picture. Bayraktar, who especially heralded that 2026 will be the “year of the wind”, shared the visionary goals regarding offshore wind power plants and domestic production capacity with the public.

• Huge Investment Plan:Türkiye has allocated an investment budget of $30 billion to strengthen its green transmission infrastructure until 2035.

• Domestic Technology and Employment:While the localization rate in wind turbines exceeds 60 percent, 500 domestic manufacturers in the sector provide green employment to 50 thousand citizens.

• Oversea Energy Conversion:Türkiye’s first offshore wind YEKA competitions are being launched in four designated areas off Saros Bay, Gökçeada, Bozcaada and Edremit.

Historical Record in Renewable Energy: 63 Percent Installed Capacity

Türkiye’s energy transformation story reveals concrete success in numbers. While in 2005, only one third of the total installed power, which was around 33 thousand megawatts, consisted of renewable resources, today this picture has completely changed. Today, while Türkiye’s total installed capacity exceeds the 125 thousand megawatt threshold, 63 percent of this capacity is fed by domestic and renewable resources.

The most powerful pillar of this gigantic transformation is wind energy. According to the data shared by Minister Bayraktar, the wind capacity of 20 megawatts, which was a symbolic figure in 2005, has exceeded the 15 thousand megawatt limit today. When the data for 2025 is examined, approximately 11 percent of Turkey’s total electricity production of 393 billion kilowatt-hours is met by wind power plants. With an annual production of 34.5 billion kilowatt-hours, an all-time peak has been reached in this field.

Türkiye is now going beyond being a country that only produces electricity from wind, and is becoming a technology exporting player in this field. Localization rates in the production of towers, generators and blades, which are the main components of wind turbines, have exceeded 70 percent. This development not only reduces energy bills but also creates a huge industrial ecosystem.

While only 27 producers were active in the field of renewable energy in 2014, today this number has reached 500 domestic producers. This sector, which employs approximately 50 thousand people together with sub-suppliers, constitutes Turkey’s “green collar” workforce. Minister Bayraktar states that wind turbines are now one of the symbols of Turkey’s complete independence and emphasizes a Türkiye that develops technology.

2026: YEKA Era in Wind Energy

The Ministry is gearing up in line with its goal of increasing the wind and solar installed power to a total of 120 thousand megawatts by 2035. The most concrete step of this strategy will be YEKA (Renewable Energy Resource Areas) competitions. A tender will be held for at least 2 thousand megawatts of new capacity every year. Stating that 2026 will be a milestone for wind energy, Bayraktar announced that 1,500 megawatts of this year’s YEKA projects will be entirely wind-oriented.

One of Türkiye’s most strategic topics in the coming period will be offshore wind energy. The Ministry, which wants to use the wind efficiency at sea as well as the potential on land, has identified four critical points:

• Gulf of Saros

• Gokceada

• tenedos

• Edremit

After the permit processes are completed in these regions, Turkey’s first offshore wind YEKA competition will be held. A capacity of 5 thousand megawatts is targeted for offshore wind alone by 2035.

Energy transformation is supported not only by production, but also by savings and efficiency. In this context, the “Zero Waste Festival”, which will be held at Atatürk Airport between 4-7 June, will be held with the theme of energy efficiency and transformation. This event, which will be held in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation, aims to increase energy saving awareness in society.

In addition, Turkey is preparing to give important messages to the world about the “new energy architecture” by hosting the COP31 (UN Climate Change Conference) in Antalya, which will be held in November. With its 30 billion dollar green transmission infrastructure investment, Türkiye not only meets its own needs but is on its way to becoming a regional energy trade center.