Just ahead of his scheduled arrival in Antalya on Tuesday to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrated the discovery of new oil fields in his country. Starting in the second half of next year, oil production in southeastern Turkey could “exceed 100,000 barrels per day,” Erdogan wrote on the online platform X.
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Erdogan stated that the total volume of the two newly discovered deposits amounts to 135 million barrels of crude oil. He added that this was “good news.” The Turkish president is attending the gathering of heads of state and government at the UN Climate Change Conference this Wednesday and Thursday. The two-week-long deliberations began on Monday.
Moving away from fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a key topic at the conference. However, concrete decisions on this matter are unlikely to emerge from the official negotiation process. That said, discussions are taking place—and new announcements regarding a shift away from fossil fuels may yet be made—within the framework of informal “pioneer” alliances.
Turkey is facing criticism, partly due to the significant role coal plays in its energy supply. Around one-third of Turkey’s electricity is generated from coal, with opposition directed specifically toward new open-pit lignite mines.
At the UN Climate Change Conference, Turkey is advocating for a proposal to increase the share of electrification in global energy consumption from the current level of approximately 20 percent to 35 percent by 2035. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), this could lead to a substantial reduction in emissions. Domestically, Turkey intends to link this goal with the expansion of renewable energy, while simultaneously pushing forward with investments in oil and gas. Furthermore, there is currently no established timeline for phasing out coal.
Author: AFP – bk/jvo – Translated by Blackout News
Sources: AFP Press Portal