Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The introductory meeting of the “Turkish Mining Sector Development Report” for 2020 prepared by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and TOBB Mining Council was held in TOBB Twin Towers with the participation of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez.

In his speech, Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that with the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been abnormal increases in the price of raw materials in particular. “‎This has pushed outwardly dependent countries.‎ Those who survived this process with minimal damage were the countries that were able to successfully manage the security of raw material supply,” he said.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the pandemic demonstrated the importance of all three sectors, and that these are agriculture for food safety, health to protect against diseases and mining for raw material safety needed by industry.

Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that the Turkey Mining Council, which continues to work under the umbrella of TOBB, has worked very closely with the Ministry and contributed to the implementation of many legal and administrative arrangements. “‎Our Council has ensured the creation of public policies on mining.‎ In this process, our sector met twice with our Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and conveyed the proposals first hand. Thanks to the measures taken, the mining sector has breathed a sigh of relief even if only in part,” he said.

Stating that the world is undergoing a digital transformation, Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that this transformation is of close interest to all sectors, especially industry, and that the mining sector is one of the sectors that will be most affected and where radical changes will be experienced in the production chain.

- “The report focuses on the legal, economic, social and environmental development of the mining sector”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that increasingly widespread autonomous systems and unmanned mining activities will significantly increase the efficiency of the sector, and that electric work machines to replace diesel vehicles will reduce the carbon footprint of the sector and facilitate its adaptation to the environment.

Emphasizing that the most important topic that the sector will focus on in the future will be the fight against climate change, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated:

“Energy policies were the main agenda item of almost all countries at the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last week. As Turkey, we can’t afford to be left out of this radical change in our export markets. On the other hand, in this process, where energy supply security is more valuable than ever, we must allow the sector to properly evaluate our domestic resources such as coal. The mining industry should grow in a healthy way, not despite the environment, but by adapting to global environmental policies. Today, there are mineral products in agriculture, buildings, building chemicals, vehicles, paper, plastics, energy, and high-tech products.”

Pointing out that the Turkish Mining Sector Development Report will shed light on the future of the mining sector, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the report focuses on the current situation of the mining sector while presenting projections for the future of the sector.

Hisarcıklıoğlu informed that the report consists of 9 parts and made the following assessment:

“The report focuses on the legal, economic, social and environmental development of the mining sector and examined the weaknesses and strengths of the sector. The Turkish Mining Sector Development Report will contribute to the creation of policies and strategies for the sector while aiming to inform the public about our underground resources, especially gold, copper, coal, marble and chrome. In short, it has content that will shed light on the future of the mining sector and contribute to it.”

- Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Dönmez

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez also announced that Turkey's mineral exports increased by 48% to $4.38 billion in January-September compared to the same period last year.

At the “Turkish Mining Sector Development Report - 2020” meeting held at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) building, Dönmez said that the demand for mineral products increased with the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines.

Pointing out that energy and mineral prices have reached record levels in the world and Turkey recently, Dönmez said, “Of course we have been affected by this process, but compared to the rest of the world, Turkey has recovered faster than other countries. Our mineral exports increased to $4.38 billion in the first 9 months of 2021. Our exports increased by 48% compared to the same period last year. Last September, we exported $584 million worth of minerals. Compared to the same period last year, the increase we achieved here was 39%.”

He stated that China, the United States and Spain were the top 3 most exported countries during the period, and that Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Albania and Serbia were added to Turkey's exports as new markets.

Dönmez pointed out that the contribution of the mining sector to gross domestic product reached 59.2 billion liras in 2020 from 11 billion liras in 2009.