By Anadolu Agency
May 14, 2026 1:57 pmTürkiye and France are exploring closer cooperation in critical minerals as both countries seek to strengthen supply chain security and expand partnerships in sectors vital for clean energy, advanced technologies and industrial production.
Benjamin Gallezot, France’s interministerial delegate for strategic minerals and metals supplies, said the OECD Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul in April offered an important opportunity for countries to discuss how to expand supply and strengthen cooperation in the sector.
“We need more critical minerals in the future to support industrial development around the world,” Gallezot told Anadolu.
“The resources exist, the skills, the technical resource are this are here, but we have to develop this resource and to do that cooperation is very important,” he added.
He described the OECD as a strong platform for building that collaboration, saying Türkiye stands out because of both its industrial base and natural resource potential.
“Türkiye is a very important country considering its industrial capacity but also its natural resources,” he said.
Gallezot said he met with Turkish officials during his visit to Istanbul to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the two countries.
“We intend to develop cooperation between France and Türkiye, but this has to be also taken into a multilateral area,” he said.
– Talks focus on technology partnerships and investment
According to Gallezot, future cooperation could involve technology transfer, technical partnerships and financing support for projects.
He added that several French institutions have already invested in Türkiye’s critical minerals sector.
France currently holds the G7 presidency, and Gallezot said one of his priorities at the forum was to help strengthen dialogue between G7 countries and other nations on critical minerals policies and partnerships. “I see very good prospects in this area,” he said.
While no concrete joint projects have been finalized yet, Gallezot said discussions are underway and both sides are evaluating opportunities.
“We are looking at all possibilities,” he said, noting that Türkiye has an ambitious policy to develop its mineral resources.
He also pointed to France’s long-standing expertise in rare earth technologies, saying rare earth separation technology was developed in France more than 80 years ago.
Gallezot said discussions were still at an early stage and that both sides would take time to build ties not only between the two governments but also among companies.
– Critical minerals becoming strategic priority
He said critical minerals have become strategic because they are used across a wide range of sectors, from renewable energy and batteries to electronics and manufacturing. “These are sometimes in small quantity but very strategic.”
He stressed that diversifying supply chains has become a priority worldwide, particularly as countries seek to reduce dependence on a limited number of suppliers.
“You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket,” Gallezot said. “Diversification is the key to supply policy, whether in energy or critical minerals.”
He argued that diversification is achievable because mineral resources are spread across different regions of the world.
– International cooperation key to supply security
Gallezot noted that France is also expanding its own mining and processing capacity, including development of one of Europe’s largest lithium deposits in central France, which could eventually supply lithium for around 700,000 electric vehicles annually.
Alongside mining, he highlighted the importance of refining and recycling in building more resilient supply chains.
“All of this makes diversification possible,” he said. “It will take time, it will not be done in a year. It will take several years, but it’s possible.”
Still, he emphasized that no country can achieve that alone.
“International cooperation is essential because you need to bring together resources, technology, expertise and financing,” Gallezot said. “That requires the efforts of many countries.”
“International cooperation is key in this respect because you have to reunite the resource, the technology, the skills, the financing,” Gallezot said”This requires the effort of several countries.”
We use cookies on our website to give you a better experience, improve performance, and for analytics. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy By clicking “Accept” you agree to our use of cookies.
Read More