Türkiye mineral exports are on track to exceed $6 billion by the end of the year, after reaching $5.1 billion in the first 11 months, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday.
Speaking at the Responsible Mining Summit '25 organized by the Turkish Miners Association (TMD) as part of the World Miners Day, Minister Bayraktar noted that the country ranks seventh globally in mineral diversity, hosting 70 of the world's 90 mineral types.
Bayraktar said Türkiye's mining sector reached a value of 363 billion liras as of 2024 and supports 141,000 jobs.
He said state-owned miner Eti Maden broke an all-time revenue record last year with $1.32 billion from 2.5 million tons of boron sales, adding that work is underway on a 600-ton-capacity lithium carbonate facility in Eskisehir Kirka.
In Beylikova, Türkiye has identified the world's second-largest single-site rare earth element resource at 694 million tons, he noted.
Bayraktar said Türkiye will soon unveil its Critical Minerals Strategy Document and is preparing to launch a mining exchange at the Istanbul Financial Center.
He said energy market operator EPİAS has formally applied to the Capital Markets Board to establish the exchange, which aims to attract international capital and strengthen Türkiye's role in commodity finance.
Bayraktar reiterated that Türkiye aims to become a net exporter of strategic minerals by boosting domestic production and reducing reliance on imported raw materials.
He also emphasized the need to reduce gold imports, noting plans to start gold production in Niger and ongoing exploration in Uzbekistan.
"We are continuing efforts to turn our mining activities in Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan, Libya and Syria into concrete projects," he concluded.
Reporting by Gulsen Cagatay, Basak Erkalan
Writing by Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu
Anadolu Agency
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