Turkey, officially Türkiye, has one of the most complex energy systems between Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Its large population, industrial economy and expanding cities create strong demand for electricity, transport fuel and natural gas. At the same time, the country imports much of the oil and gas that it consumes.
This pressure has produced a broad energy strategy. Turkey continues to use coal and imported natural gas, while increasing domestic oil and Black Sea gas production. It has also built large amounts of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal capacity. The Akkuyu project is expected to introduce nuclear power into the national electricity mix. Turkey’s energy future will therefore be shaped by several transitions happening at the same time, rather than by a simple move from fossil fuels to renewables.
Turkey’s Energy Mix Reflects Both Growth and Import Risk
Turkey generated approximately 362.9 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, while gross electricity consumption reached 360.9 terawatt-hours. Coal supplied 33.6% of generation, followed by natural gas at 23%. Hydropower provided 15.8%, wind 10.9%, solar 10.5% and geothermal energy 3.2%. Coal and gas therefore remained responsible for more than half of national electricity generation, even after years of renewable investment.[1]
Installed capacity presents a different picture. By the end of April 2026, Turkey had approximately 125.4 gigawatts of generating capacity. Solar represented 21.3% of this total, hydropower 25.8%, wind 12% and geothermal 1.4%. Natural gas accounted for 19.8%, while coal represented 17.6%.[1]
This difference between capacity and generation is important. Turkey now has more solar capacity than either coal or natural gas capacity, but solar plants do not operate at full output throughout the day. Coal and gas plants can produce electricity for longer periods, which gives them a larger share of actual generation.
The result is a mixed system. Renewable energy has become central to new capacity, but fossil fuels still carry much of the daily load. Turkey must manage this balance while electricity demand continues to rise. The National Energy Plan expects annual consumption to reach 455.3 terawatt-hours in 2030 and 510.5 terawatt-hours in 2035.[1]
Coal Remains the Foundation of Electricity Generation
Coal is the largest single source of electricity in Turkey. This position is supported by a large domestic lignite resource, established mining regions and thermal power plants that can provide continuous output.
Turkey has around 22 billion tonnes of identified coal resources. Approximately 20.53 billion tonnes consist of lignite and asphaltite, while only about 1.52 billion tonnes are hard coal. Much of the lignite is low quality: around 79% has a heating value below 2,500 kilocalories per kilogram.[2]
Domestic lignite is concentrated in areas such as Afşin-Elbistan, Soma, Tunçbilek and Beypazarı. Hard coal production is associated mainly with the Zonguldak Basin on the Black Sea coast. In 2023, Turkey produced approximately 83.2 million tonnes of coal, most of it lignite.[2]
These resources give Turkey a degree of domestic energy security, but they also create technical and environmental problems. Low-grade lignite must often be burned close to the mine because transporting it over long distances is inefficient. It also produces significant carbon emissions and local air pollution.
Turkey imports higher-quality hard coal for some power plants and industrial activities, particularly iron, steel and cement production. This means that coal is both a domestic resource and another source of import exposure.
Unlike several European countries, Turkey has not built its energy strategy around a rapid national coal phaseout. Coal remains closely connected to electricity security, mining employment and industrial development. The challenge is that continued coal dependence can increase environmental costs and place pressure on Turkish exports as carbon rules become stricter in major markets.
Natural Gas Connects Electricity, Heating and Regional Politics
Natural gas plays several roles in Turkey. It fuels power stations, heats homes, supports industry and provides flexible generation when renewable output changes. Gas-fired power plants supplied 23% of Turkish electricity in 2025.[1]
For many years, the main weakness of this system was dependence on imports. Pipeline gas has arrived from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, while liquefied natural gas has provided additional supply from the global market. BOTAŞ, the state-owned pipeline company, controls much of the gas import, storage and transmission system.
Turkey has responded by building a more flexible gas network. Its underground facilities at Silivri and Lake Tuz provide around 6.3 billion cubic metres of storage. The country also has two land-based LNG terminals and three floating storage and regasification units. By late 2025, daily gasification capacity had reached approximately 161 million cubic metres.[4]
The Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea is beginning to change the domestic side of the market. Turkey produced 3.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas in 2025, an increase of 39% from the previous year. Production from Sakarya had reached around 9.5 million cubic metres per day during 2025, and additional offshore infrastructure is intended to raise capacity further.[3]
This will not immediately remove the need for imports. Turkish gas demand is large and rises during cold winters. However, domestic Black Sea production can reduce the amount of foreign gas needed, improve bargaining power in supply negotiations and limit some pressure on the national trade balance.
Gas also supports Turkey’s ambition to become a regional energy hub. TANAP carries Azerbaijani gas across the country toward Europe, while TurkStream and Blue Stream bring Russian gas through the Black Sea. Connections with Iran, Greece and Bulgaria add further regional importance. Turkey is therefore both a major consumer and a transit state between producing regions and European markets.
Domestic Oil Production Is Rising From a Low Base
Oil remains essential to transport, aviation, shipping, agriculture, petrochemicals and road freight. It is also one of Turkey’s largest sources of energy import costs.
Domestic production has increased sharply. Turkey produced 47.9 million barrels of oil in 2025, up from 38 million barrels in 2024. Daily production reached a record of more than 135,000 barrels during April 2025.[3]
Much of the recent growth has come from the Gabar area in Şırnak, close to Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Syria. Older producing areas include Batman, Adıyaman and parts of Thrace. Development in the southeast has given domestic oil production greater economic and political importance.
Even with this increase, local production remains far below national demand. Turkey still imports large volumes of crude oil and refined fuels. Major suppliers have included Russia, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, although the balance can change according to prices, sanctions, contracts and pipeline conditions.
Turkey has a substantial refining sector. Tüpraş operates major refineries, while the STAR refinery near Aliağa has increased the country’s ability to process imported crude. Refining reduces dependence on imported finished fuels, but it does not remove the need to buy crude oil from abroad.[8]
Oil infrastructure also extends beyond domestic consumption. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline carries oil from the Caspian region to the Mediterranean, while the Kirkuk-Ceyhan system connects northern Iraq with the Turkish coast. The port of Ceyhan has become an important export and storage centre because tankers can reach international markets without passing through the Turkish Straits.
The National Grid Must Follow a Changing Energy Map
Turkey’s electricity demand is concentrated heavily in Istanbul, the Marmara region, the Aegean coast and other industrial and urban centres. However, many of its best energy resources are located elsewhere.
Hydropower is concentrated largely in the east and southeast. Central and southern Anatolia offer strong solar conditions. The Aegean and Marmara regions contain many of the best wind sites, while lignite plants are often located near inland mining basins. Electricity must therefore travel across long distances between production zones and demand centres.
TEİAŞ operates the national transmission system. By May 2026, the network included almost 76,900 kilometres of transmission lines, more than 800 high-voltage substations and 15 international interconnection lines.[5]
Grid expansion is becoming more important as wind and solar capacity grows. A conventional power station can often be built near existing fuel and transmission infrastructure. Renewable projects are more dependent on local geography. The sunniest or windiest location may not have enough grid capacity to accept a new project.
Turkey also needs more flexible resources. These include battery storage, pumped hydropower, demand management and gas plants that can respond quickly to changes in renewable output. Without these investments, new solar and wind plants may face connection delays or periods when their electricity cannot be fully used.
Earthquakes create another infrastructure concern. Turkey’s location across several active fault systems means that pipelines, substations, power stations and transmission lines must be designed for physical resilience. The 2023 earthquakes showed how a major disaster can interrupt gas and electricity networks at the same time.
Solar and Wind Are Moving From Supporting Sources to Major Assets
Turkey’s renewable energy development is closely connected to its geography. The country has sunny interior regions, windy coastlines, major river systems and some of Europe’s strongest geothermal resources.
Solar power has grown particularly quickly. By April 2026, it represented 21.3% of national installed capacity. The large number of unlicensed rooftop and small-scale projects has expanded solar beyond a limited group of utility companies. Turkey had more than 40,000 registered solar generating facilities, including unlicensed systems, by that date.[1]
Central Anatolia has become a major solar region. The Karapınar solar power plant in Konya, with around 1.35 gigawatts of capacity, demonstrates the scale possible on dry, open land. Southeastern provinces also offer strong solar potential, while rooftop systems can serve factories, warehouses, farms and commercial buildings across the country.
Wind power is strongest around the Aegean and Marmara coasts, western Anatolia and selected inland corridors. Offshore wind could eventually add another resource, although marine projects require more expensive construction, grid connections and port infrastructure.
Hydropower remains Turkey’s largest renewable source by installed capacity. Dams on the Euphrates, Tigris and other river systems support electricity production, irrigation and regional development. However, hydroelectric output changes with rainfall, snowmelt and reservoir conditions. Drought can reduce production and force greater use of coal or gas.
Geothermal energy is especially important in western Turkey, including parts of the Aegean region. It provides steady generation rather than weather-dependent output, although projects must manage underground fluids, gases and local environmental effects.
The government has set a target of reaching 120 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity by 2035. Reaching that level would require several gigawatts of new projects each year, together with major additions to transmission, storage and balancing capacity.[7]
Akkuyu Will Introduce Nuclear Power Into Turkey’s Energy Mix
Turkey does not yet generate commercial nuclear electricity. As of June 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency listed four reactors under construction and none in operation.[6]
All four reactors are being built at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant on the Mediterranean coast in Mersin Province. The project uses Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors and is being developed by Rosatom under a build-own-operate model. The four units are expected to provide about 4.8 gigawatts of gross capacity when completed.
The government has planned first electricity from Unit 1 during 2026, although the final timetable depends on construction, testing, fuel preparation, licensing and commissioning. Once the full station is operating, Akkuyu is expected to provide a significant share of national electricity.[6]
Nuclear energy is attractive to Turkey because it can produce large amounts of electricity without directly burning imported gas or domestic coal. It can also provide stable generation when wind, solar and hydroelectric output change.
However, Akkuyu creates a different form of external dependence. Russian technology, ownership, financing, fuel services and technical cooperation are central to the project. Nuclear power may therefore reduce fuel import pressure while creating a long-term strategic relationship with one foreign supplier.
Turkey has also discussed additional nuclear plants in Sinop and Thrace. The government’s wider objective is to reach 20 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050, potentially including both large reactors and small modular reactors.[6]
The Turkish Straits Turn Geography Into Energy Influence
Turkey’s position between the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Caucasus, Middle East and European Union gives energy infrastructure a geopolitical role.
The Bosporus and Dardanelles are important routes for oil products and other cargo moving between the Black Sea and global markets. Heavy tanker traffic creates environmental and safety concerns, especially through the centre of Istanbul. Pipelines such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan provide alternative routes that avoid the Bosporus.
Natural gas infrastructure creates another east-to-west corridor. Azerbaijani gas can move through TANAP and onward to Europe, while Russian gas reaches Turkey through offshore pipelines. LNG terminals allow the country to receive supply from markets beyond its immediate region.
This network gives Turkey more options than a country dependent on one pipeline or one supplier. It also creates opportunities for gas trading, storage and re-export. However, becoming a true energy hub requires transparent market rules, sufficient interconnection capacity and prices formed through competitive trade rather than only through state agreements.
Turkey’s energy geography therefore offers influence, but it also exposes the country to regional conflict, sanctions, diplomatic disputes and shipping interruptions.
Energy Costs Matter to Industry and Household Budgets
Turkey’s energy debate is not only about supply. It is also about prices, inflation, industrial competitiveness and public spending.
Imported oil and gas must generally be paid for in foreign currency. When the Turkish lira weakens, the domestic cost of these fuels can rise even when international prices are stable. Government support for electricity and natural gas bills can protect households, but it also places pressure on public finances.
Industry faces a different problem. Steel, cement, chemicals, ceramics, glass, textiles and vehicle manufacturing all depend on reliable and competitive energy. These sectors are important employers and exporters.
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase in 2026 and initially covers products including steel, cement, aluminium, fertilizers, hydrogen and electricity. Turkish businesses selling carbon-intensive goods into the EU therefore have a stronger reason to use cleaner electricity, improve efficiency and measure the emissions connected to production.[9]
This adds an economic reason for renewable and nuclear development. Cleaner power is not only a climate goal; it may also help Turkish manufacturers protect access to major export markets.
Turkey’s 2035 Energy Test Is Bigger Than Building Power Plants
Turkey has already demonstrated that it can build power generation quickly. The next stage will be more difficult because each part of the system must develop together.
Solar and wind require stronger transmission, storage and flexible demand. Black Sea gas requires offshore platforms, subsea pipelines and processing facilities. Nuclear power requires a new regulatory, technical and safety culture. Coal regions face questions about pollution, plant age and future employment. Industry needs dependable electricity at prices that allow it to compete internationally.
The central goal is to reduce import exposure without creating new infrastructure bottlenecks. Domestic coal can support security but increases emissions. Domestic gas and oil can reduce imports but are unlikely to remove them. Renewables lower fuel dependence but require grid investment. Nuclear power can provide steady low-carbon generation but brings high costs, long schedules and foreign partnerships.
Turkey’s energy future will therefore remain diverse. Coal, gas and oil will continue to matter, while solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and nuclear power take larger roles. Success will depend on whether the country can connect these resources through a reliable grid while keeping energy affordable for households and industry.
