Türkiye will allocate 1,500 megawatts of wind power capacity through Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) tenders in 2026 as part of its efforts to accelerate investments in renewable energy, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Tuesday.
“One of the most strategic priorities in the coming period will be offshore wind energy,” Bayraktar said at the 15th Türkiye Wind Energy Congress (TWEC 2026) in Ankara.
Bayraktar said Türkiye has significant offshore wind potential and noted that the ministry has identified four areas in northwestern Türkiye, Saros Bay, Gokceada, Bozcaada and Edremit, for possible development.
“Once the permitting process is completed, we plan to launch Türkiye’s first offshore wind YEKA tender,” he said.
“We are targeting 5,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035.”
– Electricity to form backbone of Türkiye’s new energy architecture
Bayraktar said geopolitical tensions, climate change, supply chain disruptions, energy security concerns and rising electricity demand are reshaping the global energy landscape.
He added that the recent crisis in the Strait of Hormuz heightened uncertainty and demonstrated that such disruptions are becoming increasingly frequent.
Bayraktar said Türkiye is among the countries that have avoided energy supply disruptions and that consumers have continued to receive uninterrupted energy supplies.
The minister noted that Türkiye is working on a new energy framework in which electricity will form the backbone of the country’s energy architecture.
“What we clearly see is that the world is becoming increasingly electrified,” he said.
Bayraktar added that Türkiye plans to explore new cooperation opportunities and sign agreements in line with its evolving energy strategy.
– Zero Waste Festival to be held in June
Bayraktar also said the ministry aims to increase awareness of energy efficiency at both national and international levels and will organize a Zero Waste Festival as part of those efforts.
He said the Zero Waste initiative, launched in 2017 under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdogan, has since grown into a global movement.
“The event will be held at Ataturk Airport from June 4-7,” he said.
According to the congress website, TWEC 2026 brings together energy sector stakeholders to discuss Türkiye’s energy transition, wind energy investments, offshore projects, storage technologies and the latest technological developments.
The event is also focusing on energy transition goals and climate strategies ahead of COP31, which Türkiye is set to host.
