Ankara: A new proposal has been made in Trkiye to establish a critical minerals authority to assess the country's potential in rare earth elements (REEs), according to the chair of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Mining Council.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ibrahim Halil Kirsan highlighted the wide uses of rare earths across various sectors, including electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, renewable energy, industrial robots, and the defense industry. He added that they are also a cornerstone of trade wars between China, the US, and the EU.
Kirsan noted that REEs and other critical minerals have reshaped countries' geopolitical priorities amid 'a new industrial revolution.' He compared the current situation to a mineral supply crisis similar to the oil shocks of the 1970s, emphasizing that minerals are becoming the new oil.
He stated that digitalization and electrification efforts in many sectors, as well as the increasing use of clean energy technologies, have led developed nations to view access to critical and strategic minerals as a matter of national security.
Kirsan highlighted China's control of roughly 70% of the global critical mineral production as of last year. Trkiye, located at a geographical crossroads between Asia and Europe, is considered a crucial country with important mining potential. Noting that Trkiye ranks eighth among 168 nations in mineral diversity, 22nd in reserves, and 28th in value, he identified the country as one of the leading candidates in the field of REEs.
He stated that work is underway at Eti Maden's Beylikova REE pilot plant in central Trkiye, following positive results from experimental studies. While China holds a 90% monopoly in refining rare earth worldwide and does not share its technology with other countries, Kirsan emphasized the importance of international cooperation. Joint efforts with the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and European countries possessing this technology could play a key role in bringing Trkiye's REE deposits into operation.
Kirsan urged the preparation of a national critical minerals strategy and the establishment of a critical minerals technology authority to coordinate work on REEs by public institutions and universities. Currently, responsibility for rare earth elements in Trkiye is divided among three ministries: the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry oversees raw materials, the Industry and Technology Ministry handles processed products, and the National Defense Ministry focuses on defense and security-related uses.
He suggested that establishing the legal infrastructure for this proposed structure, including its missions and regulations through a commission of experts from the three ministries, would benefit Trkiye in its REE operations. This agency would assess Trkiye's mining potential, the industry's supply-and-demand-based mineral and metal needs, and ensure that mining projects produce results.