SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea and Türkiye took a step toward closer cooperation in clean energy with a joint seminar held on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Seoul. The event brought together lawmakers, diplomats, business leaders, and energy experts to explore how both countries can work together to tackle the global energy transition and enhance energy security.
The "Korea–Türkiye Renewable Energy Seminar" was co-hosted by National Assembly member Baek Hye-ryun, the Turkish Embassy in Seoul, the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, the Korea New and Renewable Energy Association, and Deloitte Anjin LLC. The focus was on building connections between public and private sector leaders and identifying opportunities for joint investment in renewables and climate-related industries.
"Clean energy transition will dominate the global agenda in the period ahead," said Tolga Şimşir, Deputy Head of Mission at the Turkish Embassy. "For Türkiye, diversifying our energy sources and supply routes is a key priority. Our goal is to secure an uninterrupted, affordable, and sustainable energy supply that supports both the well-being of our people and the resilience of our economy."
Şimşir pointed to Türkiye's "Renewable Energy Road Map 2035," unveiled in October last year, as a cornerstone of its energy strategy. "We plan to quadruple our solar and wind capacity from 30 gigawatts to 120 gigawatts by 2035, with 108 billion dollars of planned investments," he said. "This seminar is timely and offers valuable insight into the Turkish renewable energy market and the opportunities it presents."
Zeynel Kılınç, Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, noted that while South Korean companies are already active in Türkiye's automotive, steel, and electronics sectors, energy remains relatively untapped. "The energy industry has great potential for collaboration," he said. "Both countries are heavily dependent on imports and need to diversify their energy sources."
Türkiye has made significant headway in expanding its renewable energy portfolio. "The installed capacity for renewables now makes up nearly 60 percent of our total capacity of 116 gigawatts," Kılınç said. "In 2024 alone, more than 45 percent of our electricity came from renewable sources."
He outlined Türkiye's energy policies, which include the YEKDEM feed-in tariff program, the YEKA large-scale auction model, incentives for self-consumption-based solar systems, and intergovernmental agreements with long-term power purchase guarantees. "These mechanisms have provided a stable foundation for growth and continue to drive our transition to renewables," he said.
Kılınç called on South Korean companies to take part in Türkiye's clean energy expansion, particularly in areas like battery storage, power plant development, and equipment manufacturing. "Together, we can create solutions that not only benefit our two countries, but also help advance the global shift to green energy," he said. "Türkiye is open for business, and our Investment Office is here to support you every step of the way."
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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