Türkiye next year to work in one of Niger's gold mines: President Erdogan

Türkiye is planning to start work in one of Niger's gold mines next year, announced the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, adding that the country is exploring for gold abroad.

"Without giving humanity and the environment the value they deserve, the global economy cannot achieve prosperity, energy supply security cannot be ensured, and peace and harmony cannot be established in the world,” said Erdogan in a speech to the Istanbul Energy Forum, a one-day event in the Turkish metropolis.

The Istanbul Energy Forum, organized by Anadolu under the auspices of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, focuses on the theme “Common Future, Common Goals,” bringing global energy leaders together to address shared challenges.

With seven natural gas pipelines, two floating LNG terminals, and 15 entry points, Türkiye has the potential to become one of the world's leading energy trade hubs, said Erdogan.

Türkiye aims to be among the top three in renewable energy in Europe as well as the top nine in the world by 2025, he added.

Stating that Türkiye's goal is to reach a nuclear energy capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2050, Erdogan said: “Once fully operational, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will meet 10% of Türkiye's electricity needs and prevent the release of 35 million tons of carbon emissions.”

Stressing that this week saw the 1,000th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, an event that forced Europe to reassess the security of its energy supplies, Erdogan highlighted the risks of dependence on foreign energy sources.

Thanks to the balanced ties it established with both parties to the conflict, Türkiye is one of the countries that has best navigated the difficult period of the ongoing war, said Erdogan.