Türkiye carries potential to play unique role in energy market: Exec

Türkiye carries the potential to play a unique role in the energy market thanks to its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, an executive of a major energy equipment manufacturer said Tuesday.

“Türkiye has the potential to play a unique role in the energy market thanks to its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. These capabilities can also make significant contributions at a regional level,” said Joseph Anis, the president and CEO of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Gas Power at GE Vernova.

“The fact that COP31 will be held in Türkiye provides an important platform to demonstrate how energy security, energy accessibility and energy transition goals can be managed simultaneously,” he added.

Responding to questions from Anadolu Agency (AA), Anis said that Türkiye’s scale, industrial base and ambition to become an energy hub support this potential.

He noted that one of Türkiye’s key strengths is its technical expertise and skilled workforce in implementing complex energy projects, including power generation, grid and transmission infrastructure.

“Türkiye can showcase its experience in increasing renewable energy capacity, investing in grid flexibility and deploying a technology mix that supports system reliability, in line with Türkiye’s 2053 Long-Term Climate Strategy,” he further said.

Türkiye and its role and potential in energy supplies, as well as being an intersection point of many trade routes, gained prominence following the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

However, Turkish authorities have pursued the role of becoming an energy hub by working on pipelines, storage facilities and also expanding the search for oil and gas, both at home and abroad.

Increasing energy demand

Anis pointed out that Türkiye has strong potential due to its increasing energy demand, growing production capacity, strategic geographic location, and its goal of becoming a regional hub in both energy and industry. However, he added that in fast-developing economies like Türkiye, financing remains one of the most important issues.

He emphasized that energy projects require large amounts of long-term capital and that rising financing costs can directly affect investment decisions.

Anis noted that for this reason, investors place great importance on policy continuity, regulatory clarity and confidence in a long-term business environment.

“One of the biggest opportunities is that Türkiye is already laying the necessary groundwork to support growth. As energy demand rises, renewable energy investments are also accelerating. This increases the need for reliable and flexible generation capacity to support the system,” he remarked.

“As long as Türkiye maintains a predictable and stable investment environment, it can continue to be an attractive market for long-term capital that supports energy security, industrial development, and innovation,” he added.

Moreover, Anis said that GE Vernova’s high-efficiency gas technologies, including the 9HA gas turbine, can play an important role in Türkiye’s energy strategy because they provide reliability, flexibility, and efficiency.

He explained that the 9HA platform is designed to meet high-performance expectations and can complement intermittent renewable energy sources by providing flexible generation and grid support.

Similarly, he conveyed the view that as Türkiye accelerates renewable energy investments, “it becomes increasingly important to support the electricity grid with reliable sources that can balance variable generation.”

Anis added that advanced gas technologies can generate more electricity from the same amount of fuel compared to older technologies, thus offering both efficiency advantages and lower emissions intensity.

He noted that globally, natural gas is expected to continue playing an important role in the energy transition alongside renewable energy, storage technologies, and other solutions, citing the NZT Power project in the United Kingdom as an example.

He concluded by saying that the speed and methods of energy transition vary from country to country, and that different technologies will continue to play different roles in this process.

DAILYSABAH