Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said, “We broke the record of the history of the Republic with $6.5 billion of mining exports in 2022. In the last 20 years, we have increased our mining exports nearly 10 times.”
Speaking at the “Gubretas Mining Investments Inc. Sogut Gold Mine Facility Opening and First Gold Casting Ceremony” held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Minister Donmez said that they are happy to bring another important investment to Bilecik in the field of mining.
Explaining that Bilecik, which was in the shadow of the big cities around it until yesterday, turned into a center of attraction thanks to the infrastructure investments of the AK Party governments, Donmez said:
“It has become one of the cities where the mining industry, especially natural stone and marble, has shown the greatest development. As the output of our new economic model focused on production, employment and exports, we opened many of our factories here last year. Every factory opening invitation sent to us by our industrial and business people from Bilecik made us very happy. Bilecik has become a city that produces more value-added products, provides more employment and exports more. All of this has happened thanks to huge investments in 20 years, from logistics to supply, from energy to transportation. Now, in the century of development and growth, the Century of Turkiye, we are reaping the fruits of these steps with growth, development, employment and export records. In 2022, we broke the record of the history of the Republic with $6.5 billion of mining exports. In the last 20 years, we have increased our mineral exports approximately 10 times. We have signed ‘Made in Turkiye’ all over the world with new products and new markets.”
“When the full capacity is put into production, an annual average of 6.5 tons will be produced”
Minister Donmez emphasized that the Sogut Gold Mine, which will be inaugurated today, will be one of the gold mines with the highest production in Turkiye, and said:
“Once it goes into production at full capacity, it will become one of our 3 licenses, one of the 3 companies that produce the most in Turkiye, with an annual average production of 6.5 tons. With an investment of $500 million, it will provide employment for 1000 citizens in the first place and 1300 citizens in the future. Today, we produce gold in 16 different mines. Our gold production, which was almost zero in 2000, reached a total of 456 tons between 2001 and 2022. Our gold production average for the last 5 years is around 35 tons. For this reason, our main goal in gold mining is to meet our needs from our domestic resources, to reduce the current account deficit originating from gold, and to increase investment and employment in this area. From ore to jewellery, we are determined to reflect Turkiye’s potential to production figures. We are determined to start the golden age of the Turkish Century from Sogut and to spread it all over the country in waves.”
Stating that environmentally friendly and safe management is their indispensable priority, Donmez said, “We carry out our energy and mining policy on the balance of energy, economy and ecology, which we call ‘3E’. We will provide the source that our economy needs by protecting our nature and our future.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz