Türkiye regulations · 13 October 2026
Bayraktar outlines energy security, interconnections and COP31 priorities in Riyadh
In a ministry announcement dated 12 October, Bayraktar highlighted energy investment and regional connections while calling for consistent climate policies and action at COP31.
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, discussed energy security, international cooperation and climate policy at the World Petroleum Congress ministerial opening meeting in Riyadh. The ministry’s announcement dated 12 October 2026 covered oil and gas investment, electrification and Türkiye’s 2053 target. [Source](https://enerji.gov.tr/haber-detay?id=31941)
Cooperation for market resilience
Bayraktar visited Riyadh in connection with the International Energy Forum ministerial meeting and the World Petroleum Congress. He addressed the opening session themed “The Future of Energy,” attended by ministers and energy industry representatives. Describing pressures on the sector, he cited the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine issue, supply-chain disruption and rising capital costs. He said recent developments in the Gulf and Iran were also straining markets. Broad cooperation among countries and companies, he argued, could demonstrate the resilience of global energy markets. [Source](https://enerji.gov.tr/haber-detay?id=31941)
Official source: Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources ↗Investment and connections with neighbours
The minister said Türkiye was investing heavily in oil and gas. He listed activities spanning upstream and midstream operations, underground storage facilities and regasification terminals. Resources were also continuing to be allocated to offshore operations in Türkiye and abroad. Referring to projects with neighbours including Iraq and Syria, Bayraktar linked increased oil, gas and electricity interconnection capacity to diversification. He stressed the importance of political will and determination in pursuing these connections. [Source](https://enerji.gov.tr/haber-detay?id=31941)
Official source: Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources ↗Energy security alongside climate policy
Bayraktar argued that a sound strategy required proper attention to energy security, particularly during turbulent periods, and said it would become the leading priority. He also called for more consistent policies to combat climate change. Recalling Türkiye’s target of reducing carbon emissions to zero in 2053, he said the country would host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Electrification had an important role on the COP31 agenda, he added, with a message to participants that it was time to move beyond discussion and take action. [Source](https://enerji.gov.tr/haber-detay?id=31941)
Official source: Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources ↗Bilateral meetings and scope of the announcement
According to the ministry, Bayraktar subsequently met counterparts from Uzbekistan, Libya and Saudi Arabia, as well as Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli. He described support and solidarity following terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia as one reason for his visit. The announcement reports policy statements and meetings; it does not set out a new legal rule, corporate reporting obligation or quantified investment timetable. [Source](https://enerji.gov.tr/haber-detay?id=31941)
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