By News Centre

Fatih Donmez, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, met with journalists at the rare earth element facilities. Answering the questions of members of the press, Dönmez said, "Free natural gas is approximately TRY40bn ($2.04bn). We will provide a contribution of approximately TRY40bn ($2.04bn) to our citizens for 1 year, including taxes."

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez stated that natural gas activities in the Black Sea have been carried out for about 5 years.

"We have been doing these works for 4-5 years. When we started these studies, we sat down with the press that day, shared it with the public, a discovery was made, and then 2.5 years passed. In the 100th anniversary of the Republic, we brought it to the land. Work on Gabar also started in 2018. We intended to enter Gabar in October, but due to the weather conditions, we could not start drilling. The AK Party makes an opening every month, every year, it is not an election-related thing. We have been here for 20 years, we have done hundreds of projects. Hundreds of works have been brought to the country in transportation, industry, energy, agriculture and many other fields. Because they cannot imagine, they think as if they are all preparing for the election. Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu came to Eski?ehir for the rally, and our President came one week before him, and he inaugurated nearly 100 facilities. Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu is also coming to Eski?ehir for the first time. In Eski?ehir, they have the Metropolitan Municipality, they have the district municipalities, but they could not make one opening. If they have any project let them do opening ceremony as well. From time to time, we see that they open statues, carry taps, that's how it is. But what you call facilities, there must be points that can directly contact our citizens, we say transportation, we say energy, we call defense, mass housing, all of these are our services that directly touch our citizens and have a direct benefit," he said.

“Currently, the data of the first wells are very good. After the oil discovered in the Gabar region, can there be a discount in fuel oil?” journalists asked the question.

"We are still at the beginning of the work, this is the first exploration well. There were similar questions when we made the first exploration in 2020, we always said that both our nation and our state will benefit from this work, as long as we put the field into production. At the moment, we have not yet started full production, and both our nation and our state will benefit from this work. The amount of oil in Gabar is about 1 billion barrels. Now 2-3 more wells will be drilled to give the full net worth regarding the producible part, currently the first well's data is very good, giving 1300 or even 1500 barrels per day. According to the data obtained from the well, the evaluations of our friends are around 60 percent, they consider that we can produce 60-65 percent of this gross reserve. In the Mediterranean, the work of our Abdülhamid Han Ship continues, we also have the Oruç Reis Seismic Research Ship. Although we have received positive signs from some places, we have not caught any tangible discovery so far. We will continue our searches in our own maritime jurisdictions," he answered.

Answering questions about the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Donmez announced that the second facility will be established in Sinop and that the location studies for Trakya are continuing.

"We are building the first one in Akkuyu, I hope the second one will be in Sinop. The site determination studies for Trakya are still continuing. We also want to prepare the site, because in such large projects, ground surveys, environmental impacts, site-related use permits are still in progress. and so on, these are really years-consuming tasks anyway. On the one hand, we are preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, the ground surveys and the processes related to the usage rights of the land, as if the power plant will start tomorrow. Let's not waste time when we reach any agreement. After May 14, these projects will continue anyway. Because this is not the changing policies from minister to minister. We have a President who, from the very beginning, sees being independent in energy as one of the most important means of being a strong Turkiye. Even if we are not, our friends who will come after us will undoubtedly continue these projects and investments, I am not worried. But I don't know if other people come if we don't. They have many commitments, we will stop the nuclear power plant, even now their new partners say that there is no need for such dams, they are even against wind farms, it is difficult to predict what they will do. Obviously, maazallah (Allah forbid) dark days await us. If you turn them off, where will you generate electricity? do they? They can, because their mayor got up and held a groundbreaking ceremony in Istanbul, and to top it all off, he filled the station in another subway station; they are feared. They can even put concrete in our oil wells," he said.

We will contribute TRY40bn with free natural gas Donmez spoke about free use after the natural gas discovered in the Black Sea. Stating that they have contributed TRY40bn to the citizens for 1 year, Donmez said, "Free natural gas is approximately TRY40. We will provide a contribution of approximately TRY40bn to our citizens for 1 year, including taxes. There is a statement under the bills. 'Dear subscriber, our President has received it. Your invoice amount for this month has been paid by the state within the scope of the regulations in force.” (DHA)