Turkey’s mining industry is a strategic sector that brings the country’s natural resources into the economy and supplies raw materials to numerous industries, particularly metallurgy, energy, construction, chemicals, ceramics, glass, automotive, defense, and machinery.
Thanks to its diverse geological structure, Turkey possesses a wide range of mineral and mining resources. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources states that Turkey has an important position globally in terms of mineral diversity and possesses numerous different types of minerals.
Mining does not simply mean extracting minerals from the ground. The modern mining value chain includes:
exploration → drilling → reserve identification → mining → ore beneficiation → metal/mineral production → advanced processing → finished products → exports
Turkey’s recent mining policies increasingly emphasize processing minerals domestically and transforming them into higher-value-added intermediate and finished products, rather than exporting them in raw form.
- Turkey’s Mining Potential
Turkey has a highly diverse geological structure. Different geological formations throughout Anatolia have created a wide range of mineral deposits.
Major resources include:
Boron
Chromium
Copper
Iron
Gold
Zinc
Lead
Nickel
Manganese
Coal
Marble
Feldspar
Perlite
Pumice
Bentonite
Magnesite
Barite
Kaolin
Trona
Zeolite
This diversity makes Turkey a country with a broad mining base rather than one dependent on a single mineral.
- Boron Mining
Boron mining is one of Turkey’s strongest areas in the global mining industry.
Turkey possesses approximately 73% of the world’s boron reserves. Major deposits are located in:
Eskişehir-Kırka
Balıkesir-Bigadiç
Bursa-Kestelek
Kütahya-Emet
Turkey is also a global leader in boron production. Boron mining and the production of refined boron products are largely carried out by Eti Maden. In 2024, Turkey’s total boron product sales reached approximately 2.5 million tons, generating around US$1.322 billion in sales revenue.
Boron is used in a wide range of industries, including:
Glass
Ceramics
Detergents
Agriculture
Metallurgy
Energy
Defense
Nuclear technology
Turkey’s objective is increasingly to move beyond selling boron ore or basic boron products and increase the production of higher-value products such as boron carbide, ferroboron, and other advanced boron materials.
- Chromium Mining
Chromium is one of Turkey’s important metallic minerals.
Turkey is among the significant countries in terms of global chromium reserves and ranks sixth worldwide according to government data.
Major chromium deposits are located in areas including:
Elazığ-Guleman
Muğla-Fethiye
Muğla-Köyceğiz
Sivas-Erzincan
Kayseri-Mersin
Balıkesir-Eskişehir
Turkey produced approximately 7.8 million tons of chromium ore in 2025. During the same year, approximately 1.33 million tons of chromium products were exported, generating around US$523 million in export revenue.
Chromium is particularly important for:
Stainless steel
Ferrochrome
Metallurgy
Chemicals
Refractory products
The most effective way to increase the added value of Turkey’s chromium industry is to expand the production of ferrochrome and other processed chromium products rather than exporting raw ore.
- Gold Mining
Gold mining is one of Turkey’s rapidly developing areas of the mining industry.
Modern gold production in Turkey officially began in 2001 at the Ovacık Gold Mine in Bergama, İzmir.
Annual production, which was approximately 1.4 tons at the beginning, increased as new mines became operational and reached 28.21 tons in 2025.
Gold mining is important in terms of:
Exports
Foreign currency earnings
Domestic production
Employment
Metallurgy
Technology
However, Turkey’s domestic gold production does not meet domestic consumption. According to government data, Turkey recorded an approximately US$13 billion foreign trade deficit in gold in 2025.
Consequently, exploring new reserves and developing economically viable gold deposits remain strategically important.
- Copper Mining
Copper is one of Turkey’s most important metallic raw materials from an industrial perspective.
Copper is used in:
Electrical cables
Electronics
Electric motors
Energy infrastructure
Automotive manufacturing
Construction
Defense industry
Renewable energy
Copper production takes place in several Turkish provinces, including Sivas, Siirt, Adıyaman, Malatya, Kırşehir, Trabzon, Çorum, Kastamonu, Bitlis, and Artvin.
In 2025, Turkey produced approximately 5.79 million tons of raw copper. At the same time, Turkey remained an importer of certain intermediate and finished copper products.
The growing global demand for copper, driven by electric vehicles, solar energy, and electricity-grid development, is expected to support strong long-term demand.
- Iron Mining
Iron mining supplies one of the fundamental raw materials for Turkey’s steel industry.
Iron ore is used in:
Steel production
Automotive manufacturing
Construction
Machinery
Shipbuilding
Defense
Infrastructure
Although Turkey has significant steel production capacity, part of its iron ore requirements, particularly high-quality ore, is met through imports.
Therefore, exploration of domestic iron ore reserves, ore beneficiation, and more efficient utilization of domestic resources are important elements of Turkey’s industrial strategy.
- Zinc and Lead Mining
Zinc and lead are economically important metallic minerals that are frequently found together.
Zinc is particularly important for:
Galvanization
Steel
Automotive manufacturing
Construction
Brass alloys
Lead is used in:
Batteries
Energy-storage systems
Radiation protection
Metal alloys
Chemical products
Turkey has various zinc-lead deposits, particularly in parts of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia and the Black Sea region.
- Nickel Mining
Nickel is an important raw material for stainless steel and high-performance alloys.
Turkey’s important nickel deposits include:
Manisa-Çaldağ
Manisa-Gördes
Eskişehir-Mihalıççık
The strategic importance of nickel is expected to increase, particularly because of its role in electric vehicles and battery technologies.
Consequently, exploration of Turkey’s nickel resources and economically viable development of existing deposits are becoming increasingly important.
- Marble and Natural Stone Mining
Turkey is one of the world’s leading countries in natural stone and marble mining.
Important production regions include:
Afyonkarahisar
Muğla
Denizli
Bilecik
Balıkesir
Bursa
Elazığ
Antalya
Turkish marble is used in markets around the world, including:
China
United States
Europe
Middle East
Asia
The economic value of marble mining is not limited to quarrying. Cutting, polishing, sizing, design, and architectural applications can significantly increase the sector’s added value.
- Feldspar Mining
Feldspar is one of Turkey’s important industrial minerals.
Feldspar deposits are particularly concentrated in Western Anatolia and provide raw materials for:
Ceramics
Glass
Porcelain
Tiles
Construction materials
Because Turkey has a highly developed ceramics and glass industry, there is a strong connection between feldspar mining and manufacturing.
- Perlite and Pumice
Perlite and pumice are important industrial minerals in Turkey.
Their major applications include:
Thermal insulation
Lightweight concrete
Construction
Agriculture
Filtration
Ceramics
Cement
These volcanic minerals are found particularly in regions with significant volcanic geological formations and create important economic value, especially through their use in construction.
- Magnesite
Magnesite is another important industrial mineral in Turkey.
It is mainly used in:
Refractory materials
Steel production
Cement
Glass
Chemicals
Turkey’s magnesite resources are particularly important around Eskişehir and surrounding areas.
Its role in refractory material production makes magnesite a strategic raw material for industries operating at very high temperatures.
- Coal Mining
Coal mining has an important role in Turkey, particularly in terms of energy production.
Turkey’s main coal resources can be divided into:
Lignite
Hard coal
Asphaltite
Lignite is mainly used for electricity generation in thermal power plants.
However, the global energy transition, carbon-emission reduction policies, and increasing investment in renewable energy are creating major changes in the future of coal mining.
As a result, efficiency, emissions reduction, environmental rehabilitation, and energy transition will become increasingly important issues for the coal industry.
- Rare Earth Elements
One of the most promising areas of Turkey’s future mining industry could be rare earth elements (REEs).
Rare earth elements are important for:
Electric vehicles
Wind turbines
Electronics
Defense technologies
Permanent magnets
Battery technologies
High-tech manufacturing
The Beylikova area of Eskişehir is one of Turkey’s most significant regions for rare earth elements.
Turkey aims not only to extract these resources but also to move toward separation, refining, and advanced materials production.
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has announced plans for an industrial facility dedicated to rare earth elements, with construction targeted to begin in 2026 and the facility expected to be completed in approximately two years.
- Mining and the Defense Industry
The mining industry is strategically important for Turkey’s defense industry.
Some raw materials used in defense technologies include:
Boron
Chromium
Tungsten
Nickel
Copper
Aluminum
Zinc
Rare earth elements
High-performance materials such as boron carbide can be used in armor systems and other defense applications.
The development of Turkey’s boron carbide production capacity is an important example of transforming a domestic raw material into an advanced technology product instead of exporting it directly.
- Mining and the Machinery Industry
Modern mining relies heavily on advanced machinery and technology.
Major mining equipment includes:
Drilling machines
Excavators
Loaders
Mining trucks
Crushers
Grinding systems
Conveyor systems
Ore beneficiation plants
Geophysical equipment
Automation systems
Developing domestic mining machinery production could reduce Turkey’s dependence on imported equipment while also creating a new industrial export opportunity.
Turkey’s mining strategy increasingly emphasizes the development of domestic machinery and equipment and the processing of mining products within the country.
- Added Value in Mining
One of the most important objectives of Turkey’s mining industry is to move from raw ore exports toward the production of higher-value products.
For example:
Boron → Boric Acid → Boron Carbide → Defense/Advanced Technology
Chromium → Ferrochrome → Stainless Steel
Copper Ore → Concentrate → Copper Cathode → Cable/Electronics
Iron Ore → Pellets → Iron/Steel → Automotive/Machinery
These production chains can increase export revenues while strengthening the connection between mining and manufacturing.
Turkey’s mining strategy increasingly aims to transform minerals into intermediate and finished products rather than exporting them in raw form.
- Mining Exports
Turkey’s mining exports include significant quantities of:
Marble
Natural stone
Boron
Chromium
Feldspar
Copper
Zinc
Lead
Other industrial minerals
Boron and chromium are particularly strong areas of Turkey’s international mining trade.
The approximately US$523 million in chromium export revenue generated in 2025, together with a foreign trade surplus of approximately US$444 million, demonstrates Turkey’s strong export position in certain mineral categories.
- Mining and Imports
Despite its extensive mineral resources, Turkey continues to require imports of certain critical raw materials.
These include:
Energy raw materials
Certain metal ores
High-quality iron ore
Copper products
Nickel
Special alloy metals
Critical minerals
Certain chemical raw materials
Turkey’s strong manufacturing sector generates substantial demand for raw materials.
Therefore, expanding the domestic mining industry could also contribute to reducing the country’s foreign trade deficit.
- Environment and Sustainable Mining
One of the most important issues in the development of Turkey’s mining industry is environmental sustainability.
Mining activities can affect:
Soil
Water
Forests
Agricultural land
Ecosystems
Biodiversity
Consequently, modern mining operations increasingly focus on:
Environmental impact assessment
Waste management
Water management
Land rehabilitation
Dust and emission control
Safe waste storage
Biodiversity protection
Rehabilitating mining sites after operations are completed is an essential component of sustainable mining.
- Technology and Digital Mining
The mining industry is increasingly adopting advanced technologies.
Modern mining operations can utilize:
Artificial intelligence
Big data
Drone technology
Satellite imagery
Robotics
Autonomous vehicles
Sensors
Geophysical imaging
Digital mine models
These technologies can improve the accuracy of reserve estimation, reduce production costs, increase operational efficiency, and improve worker safety.
For Turkey, developing domestic mining technologies can also create new opportunities for the growth of the local machinery and technology industries.
- Occupational Safety in Mining
Mining is one of the industries with significant occupational safety risks.
Underground mining can involve hazards such as:
Mine collapses
Gas explosions
Fires
Ventilation problems
Machinery accidents
Blasting operations
Consequently, automation, remote control systems, real-time sensors, safety equipment, and continuous worker training are becoming increasingly important.
Improving occupational safety is important not only for protecting workers but also for the social acceptance and long-term sustainability of the mining industry.
- The Future of Mining in Turkey
Several major developments will shape the future of Turkey’s mining industry.
Critical Minerals
Demand for critical minerals will increase because of electric vehicles, energy-storage systems, and renewable energy.
Higher Added Value
Exports of refined metals, advanced materials, and finished products will become more important than exports of raw ore.
Rare Earth Elements
Rare earth elements could become one of Turkey’s new strategic mining sectors.
Boron Technologies
Boron carbide, ferroboron, and other advanced boron products could strengthen Turkey’s global competitive advantage.
Recycling
Metal recycling will become an increasingly important source of secondary raw materials.
Green Mining
Lower energy consumption, reduced water use, and lower carbon emissions will become increasingly important.
Digitalization
Artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation will increase the efficiency of mining operations.
Turkey’s mining industry is one of the strategic sectors that transforms the country’s natural resources into economic value. Turkey possesses a wide range of mineral resources, including boron, chromium, gold, copper, iron, zinc, lead, nickel, marble, feldspar, perlite, pumice, magnesite, and coal.
Turkey’s global leadership in boron, its strong position in chromium production, and its growing gold production provide the country with significant advantages.
However, the future success of Turkey’s mining industry will not depend simply on extracting more minerals. The key objective should be to process minerals domestically, transform them into advanced technology products, and integrate mining with manufacturing industries.
For this reason, the mining industry of the future should be considered as an integrated system encompassing:
exploration + mining + metallurgy + chemicals + machinery + technology + manufacturing + exports
Turkey’s investments in critical minerals, rare earth elements, boron technologies, copper, chromium, gold, and strategic metals will become increasingly important for the country’s energy security, industrial independence, defense industry, and high-technology manufacturing capacity.
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