Turkey and Saudi Arabia sign an agreement for the construction of solar power plants

Organized in Istanbul in an Ottoman-era palace on the banks of the Bosphorus, the signing ceremony comes after the conclusion of a two billion dollar energy agreement between the two countries during a visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Riyadh in early February.

The agreement provides for the construction by the Saudi company Acwa of two solar power plants in the provinces of Sivas and Karaman, in central Turkey, with a combined capacity of 2000 megawatts, which could meet the electricity needs of 2,1 million households, officials said.

Relations between Riyadh and Ankara had cooled after the 2018 assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi regime.

They improved subsequently, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia in 2022 before returning a year later.

The two countries now cooperate on a wide range of diplomatic issues, including support for Gaza and the new Syrian government.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar hailed the project as "one of the most important domestic and foreign investments ever made in our energy sector".

"Turkey will also guarantee its electricity supply at an exceptionally low price, never before seen in our country," he added.

"Turkey is experiencing a true energy revolution," the minister stated, adding that 62% of the electricity capacity installed last year came from renewable sources.

By 2035, Turkey aims to increase its installed solar and wind power capacity to 120.000 megawatts.

Ankara also aims for carbon neutrality by 2053, but 33,6% of its electricity came from coal last year, according to official data from the ministry.

When questioned by AFP about Turkey's dependence on coal, Mr. Bayraktar indicated that the country was aiming for cheaper energy and a reduction in its dependence on energy imports.

"Coal can initially be replaced by gas, but in the medium and long term, it can be supplanted by nuclear power," he explained.