US: Türkiye courts global investors in London for energy transition push.

SHOTLIST: LONDON, USA (JUNE 24, 2026) 1. ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER ALPARSLAN BAYRAKTAR SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE (English) LONDON, USA - JUNE 24, 2026: Türkiye is seeking about $200 billion in energy investments by 2035 to meet rising demand and achieve its energy transition goals, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday. Speaking at the Türkiye Clean Energy Transition Investment Forum in London, Bayraktar said about $80 billion of that total would be directed toward transmission, distribution and grid infrastructure investments. The minister said these investments are critical to achieving Türkiye's 2035 electrification targets. Bayraktar also highlighted Türkiye's international natural gas and pipeline projects, saying Ankara has proposed cross-border pipeline initiatives to countries in the region, including Iraq and Qatar. The recent energy disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz underscored the importance of such projects, he added. "Türkiye fully believes that more interconnections and more oil and gas infrastructure and power projects will help us address the current challenges that we are facing today," he said. "We need to prepare ourselves for future challenges," he said. "So, that's why Türkiye offers more interconnections, more diversity. We need to have more diverse energy supply and transportation systems." Bayraktar said Türkiye has long advocated extending the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline south to Basra, adding that the route could provide an alternative export corridor if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted. He said the existing pipeline infrastructure, with a capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day, could enable Iraqi crude to reach the Mediterranean markets through Türkiye with relatively limited additional investment. Bayraktar said the project could be completed within one to two years and would allow up to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day to be transported from Iraq's south to the Mediterranean through the terminal in Ceyhan. He also proposed new regional gas infrastructure projects, including a pipeline linking Qatar to Türkiye, saying such routes could help reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and improve European energy security. - Türkiye pushes for stronger regional energy connectivity He said Türkiye's LNG terminals, gas infrastructure, and pipeline connections to Europe position the country as an alternative route for supplying energy to European markets. Bayraktar said the projects would require strong political backing from regional partners and Europe to move forward. Referring to a proposed energy interconnection linking Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Türkiye, Bayraktar said Ankara wanted to expand regional energy links to improve resilience against future disruptions. "We would like to build more interconnection," he said. While acknowledging that new crises were likely to emerge in the coming years, Bayraktar said Türkiye was seeking greater regional and global cooperation to strengthen energy security. "This is the solution that we are offering, and we are looking for partnership and cooperation around the region, around the globe," he added.