Türkiye plans to initiate gold production in Niger in 2025, the Turkish energy and natural resources minister said Friday.
Speaking at the Türkiye Mining Summit in Istanbul, Alparslan Bayraktar, said that Türkiye manages mining activities in different geographies spanning from Asia to Africa.
The country operates domestically and internationally in the field of mining to secure supply of raw materials, he said.
The country is currently conducting exploration activities in various gold mines in Niger and plans to ‘start the first production in 2025 with MTA IC in one of the gold fields,’ Bayraktar said, referring to the MTA International Company, a subsidiary of Türkiye’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA).
– Domestic production
Türkiye has discovered new mineral deposits in Central and Western Black Sea region through increased drilling and exploration activities, Bayraktar said.
‘We have found significant copper reserves, especially in the Central and Western Black Sea region,’ he added.
Similarly, ongoing explorations in other regions within the country have uncovered promising deposits of molybdenum, copper, gold, and critical minerals, further highlighting Türkiye’s rich mineral wealth, he explained.
‘The green transformation in energy and zero carbon targets will continue to drive demand for copper and other metallic minerals and rare earths,’ he underlined.
Bayraktar said, ‘We will continue to work intensively in these areas in the coming years to identify new reserves,’ and add economic value in the mining sector through processing the raw materials.
– Countries signed memorandum of understanding in October
In October, Bayraktar met Niger’s Minister of Mines Abarchi Ousmane in Istanbul and the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in mining.
The deal aims to carry out cooperation activities to support sustainable development through the mining sectors of both countries.
Türkiye will actively encourage both public and private sector companies to invest in Niger’s mining industry. Negotiations and information sharing will be prioritized to facilitate mineral exploration and exploitation in specific regions.
