Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced that Turkey is placing offshore wind energy at the center of its new era of energy transformation. Speaking at the 15th Turkish Wind Energy Congress, Bayraktar stated that "2026 will truly be the year of wind."
Sites Determined in the Aegean
Bayraktar highlighted Turkey's significant potential in the offshore wind sector, announcing that the Ministry has identified four separate offshore wind sites off the coasts of Saros Bay, Gökçeada, Bozcaada, and Edremit. He stated that after the completion of permitting processes, Turkey's first offshore Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) tender will be held, emphasizing the strategic importance of this area in energy policies.
Target: 5 GW
According to Minister Bayraktar's statements, Turkey aims to reach an installed capacity of 5 gigawatts in offshore wind energy by 2035. Within this scope, 1500 megawatts of the YEKA tenders to be held in 2026 are planned to be allocated to wind energy.
Turkey's wind potential, especially along its North Aegean and Thracian coasts, is considered competitive with many offshore investment regions in Europe.
Renewable Energy's Share Rises to 63 Percent
According to information provided by Bayraktar, while renewable sources constituted only 33 percent of the total installed capacity in 2005, today Turkey's total installed capacity exceeds 125,000 megawatts, with approximately 63 percent coming from renewable energy sources.
The installed capacity of wind energy, which was only 20 megawatts in 2005, has now surpassed 15,000 megawatts. In 2025, 10.9 percent of the total 393 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generation came from wind power plants. Thus, wind energy reached an all-time high with an annual production of 34.5 billion kilowatt-hours.
Bayraktar also noted similar growth in solar energy, stating that solar energy capacity, which was only 40 megawatts in 2014, has now exceeded 26,000 megawatts.
Bayraktar said that with the current figures, Turkey ranks among the top 5 countries in Europe and the top 11 countries globally in terms of renewable energy installed capacity.
Furthermore, the Minister pointed out significant progress in domestic production, stating that a localization rate of approximately 60 percent has been achieved in wind turbines. He added that this rate exceeds 70 percent in tower, generator, and blade production.
Minister Bayraktar also mentioned ongoing work in transmission and infrastructure, in addition to installed capacity investments. In this context, he announced that Turkey plans a comprehensive grid modernization by 2035.
According to the plan, Turkey will establish a total of 14,700 kilometers of HVDC lines with a capacity of 40 gigawatts, as well as 15,000 kilometers of new AC transmission lines. Additionally, 40 new converter centers will be commissioned. The target investment for this entire green transmission infrastructure is approximately 30 billion dollars.
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