Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced Türkiye’s ambitious goal to boost its installed solar and wind power capacity to 120,000 megawatts by 2035, marking a major step in the country’s drive toward energy transformation and sustainability.

Speaking at the mass opening ceremony of the 2024 Renewable Energy Investments on Wednesday, Erdogan said the expansion of renewables lies at the heart of Türkiye’s national energy strategy, underlining the government's commitment to reducing dependency on foreign energy sources.

He framed energy policy not only as an economic priority but as a matter of national security. “Supply security, energy diplomacy, and resource diversity have begun to be regarded not only as technical issues but also as matters directly related to national security,” Erdogan noted.

He also pointed to growing global tensions, noting: “We cannot view the rising tensions in many regions of the world, from Africa to Asia, and from the Middle East to Latin America, separately from the race for energy.”

Outlining Türkiye’s strategic objectives, Erdogan reiterated the country’s goal to reduce energy imports, lower its energy bill, and ultimately position itself as a net exporter in both natural resources and technology.

Highlighting recent milestones, the president said: “We have changed our nation’s destiny, with our discoveries in the Black Sea and Gabar. We have elevated our country to a different league, with our Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Project.”