Agencies
Turkiye can develop a new generation of joint energy projects with German partners in a broad spectrum from natural gas, green hydrogen, modern power grids to critical minerals, according to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar onWednesday.
“Together with German partners, we can now realize a new generation of joint projects, ranging from natural gas and green hydrogen to modern power grids and critical minerals,” Bayraktar said at the opening of the Turkiye-North Rhine-Westphalia Business Forum in Istanbul.
Speaking alongside Hendrik Wüst, the conservative leader of Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state, and representatives of the business community, Bayraktar reaffirmed the strong foundation of the Turkish-German economic partnership, touched upon the developments in global energy markets and the potential to forge new partnerships.
Wüst, widely seen as a potential successor to the current German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, embarked on a visit to Tu rkiye earlier this week and already held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Bayraktar cited the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline as foundations for further cooperation between Türkiye and Germany.
These energy corridors help meet Türkiye’s domestic energy demand while strengthening Europe’s security of supply by providing additional routes and sources, Bayraktar said.
He also said financing remained one of the most pressing challenges facing the global energy sector.
Citing the International Energy Agency (IEA), Bayraktar said global clean energy investment needed to exceed $4.5 trillion annually by the early 2030s to keep net-zero goals within reach.
Despite record levels of spending, investment remained below the level required, he added.
“Closing this massive financing gap requires bold action from international financial institutions, capital markets, private investors and governments,” he said.
“This is where Germany’s financial strength, capital support and risk-sharing in joint ventures can play a decisive role,” he added.
“By combining Turkish project execution capability with German financial capabilities, we can turn ambitious transition targets into bankable, real-world assets.”
Bayraktar also said Türkiye would unveil a more ambitious long-term renewable energy program, alongside higher grid investment and climate targets, when it hosts COP31 in Antalya later this year.
