Türkiye, France seek stronger cooperation in critical minerals

Türkiye 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 held in Istanbul in April provided an important opportunity to discuss expanding supply and strengthening 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 collaboration and said 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 Turkish officials in Istanbul to discuss potential cooperation areas 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, investment partnerships

According to Gallezot, future cooperation could include technology transfer, technical partnerships, and financing support for projects.

He said 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 strengthening 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 joint projects have been finalized, Gallezot said discussions are continuing and both sides are assessing opportunities.

"We are looking at all possibilities," he said, noting that Türkiye has an ambitious policy to develop its mineral resources.

He also highlighted France’s long-standing expertise in rare earth technologies, saying rare earth separation technology was first developed in France more than 80 years ago.

Critical minerals become strategic priority

Gallezot said critical minerals have become strategically important because they are used across sectors ranging from renewable energy and batteries to electronics and manufacturing.

"These are sometimes in small quantity but very strategic," he said.

He stressed that diversifying supply chains has become a global priority 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 added 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 said refining and recycling would also play a key role in building more resilient supply chains.

"International cooperation is essential because you need to bring together resources, technology, expertise and financing," Gallezot said. "That requires the efforts of many countries."