Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Güler called on German investors to join Türkiye in developing solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy projects, speaking at a Turkish-German conference on renewable energy and sustainable development held in Istanbul in October 2006.
Addressing German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Güler highlighted Türkiye's solar potential, noting the country averages up to 3,000 sunny hours annually. He suggested that photovoltaic cells could replace roof tiles on buildings across the country to generate electricity through German-Turkish cooperation.
Güler said a national wind-resource survey was underway and that officials had identified 22 geothermal sites, with those exceeding 100 degrees Celsius earmarked for power generation. He described Türkiye as sitting atop enormous geothermal reserves.
On biomass, the minister noted that Türkiye produces 70 percent of the world's hazelnuts, and that hazelnut shells could serve as a bio-fuel source. He also said Türkiye was revising its heavy reliance on natural gas in order to make fuller use of hydropower.
Güler proposed that joint strategic projects could position Türkiye to connect to the European electricity grid within a year, saying the invitation to Germany was "a proposal" for structured cooperation.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.