Gabar: The symbol of terror-free Türkiye and energy independence

On March 28, Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar visited the oil production site in Gabar Mountain, located in the southeastern province of Sirnak, to celebrate a significant achievement: daily oil production at the site had reached 80,000 barrels. This marks a twofold increase within a year and represents a substantial leap forward in the country’s domestic energy production capacity.

The Gabar oil field has emerged as a key component of Türkiye’s broader ambition to reduce dependency on energy imports. President Erdogan previously declared that Türkiye would no longer rely heavily on external energy sources and would move toward becoming an energy-exporting nation. He stated that Gabar would eventually meet one-tenth of Türkiye’s daily oil consumption on its own.

The president also emphasized the symbolic significance of the discovery and development of this site: oil is now being produced from wells that were once abandoned because of terrorism and even from sites previously declared unproductive and sealed off with concrete.

Just a decade ago, no oil had been discovered in the Gabar region, and even if exploration were possible, the threat of terrorism rendered any production activity extremely risky. Now, with security restored and infrastructure in place, the government has set its sights on a new production target of 100,000 barrels per day.

Türkiye’s domestic oil landscape: Before and after MEMP

In 2014, Türkiye’s domestic crude oil production reached 49,300 barrels per day, of which 34,000 barrels (around 69%) were produced by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). At the time, the regional distribution of production was heavily skewed: Batman led with 73% of national output, followed by Adıyaman at 26%, and the Thrace region contributing just 1%.

A major shift occurred in 2017 with the introduction of the National Energy and Mining Policy (MEMP).

This strategic framework was launched to strengthen Türkiye’s energy security, reduce foreign dependency, and boost production from local hydrocarbon resources. MEMP marked a new era in both onshore and offshore exploration and drilling activities.

Transformational discoveries: From the Black Sea to Gabar

Following MEMP, Türkiye’s national energy company TPAO significantly expanded its exploration activities, particularly offshore. A key move was the creation of a national deep-sea drilling fleet. The first ship, Fatih, was added in 2017, followed by Yavuz in 2019, Kanuni in 2020, and Abdülhamid Han in 2022.

These vessels made possible the most significant energy discovery in Türkiye’s history: the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea, announced in 2020. This find remains the largest offshore natural gas discovery globally for that year.

At the time, Türkiye’s total annual gas production was 441 million cubic meters. By April 2024, production from the Sakarya field alone reached 4.5 million cubic meters per day.

Onshore developments have been equally significant. In Adana’s Ceyhan district, exploratory drilling in 2022 led to the discovery of two high-quality, commercially viable oil reserves—Çukurova-1 and Çukurova-2—together holding an estimated 8 million barrels.

In the 1990s, there were villages in Şırnak that were evacuated or had to be evacuated due to fear or threat of terrorism. Since then, under the relevant law, the Ministry of Interior has been compensating residents for the damages they suffered as a result of terrorism, particularly because they were unable to cultivate or farm their land. However, thanks to the improved security environment and the stability our country has recently achieved, citizens who wish to return are able to rebuild their homes, resume farming, and tend to their fields, and gardens. As part of this effort, we are constructing 120 kilometers of road—30 kilometers of which have already been tendered and are currently under development.

Osman Bilgin, then Governor of Sirnak Province on November 2022.

Yet, the most notable breakthrough came from the Gabar region. In 2021, oil was discovered in Sirnak’s Gabar Mountain. The high-quality reserve, estimated at around 150 million barrels, ranked among the top ten largest onshore oil discoveries globally that year.

Following the discovery, Türkiye ramped up production rapidly. By April 2025, TPAO was producing 80,000 barrels per day from 99 wells across three major sites in the area.

To put this in perspective, in 2021, Türkiye’s total average daily oil production was 69,300 barrels, of which 55,600 barrels came from TPAO. Now, Gabar alone exceeds that national average.

For context, Türkiye’s oil consumption in 2021 was approximately 939,000 barrels per day, according to CEIC data. The Gabar field’s contribution now covers nearly 10% of that figure.

Gabar’s output translates to an annual economic gain of approximately $2.3 billion by offsetting imports that would have otherwise been required to meet this demand.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Bayraktar

Broadening the search: Nationwide exploration plans

Exploration is far from limited to Gabar. Similar geological structures have been identified in Hakkari and Van, where active oil surveys are underway. Looking ahead, Türkiye plans to open a total of 140 exploratory wells across the country in 2024 alone.

The goal is not just to boost short-term production but to ensure long-term sustainability through continuous discovery. To that end, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, through the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs, granted TPAO exploration licenses in January for 18 sites in 14 provinces.

These include Antalya, Bartın, Çanakkale, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Kahramanmaraş, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, and Zonguldak. Many of these sites are believed to have similar geological features to proven production zones.

In addition, seismic studies in the Black Sea continue to provide promising data. Preliminary findings suggest that, alongside existing gas fields, there may also be offshore oil reserves, particularly in the Eastern Black Sea. The second half of 2024 is expected to see a concentration of drilling activity in the region, with potential discoveries anticipated.

Beyond borders: Türkiye’s expanding energy diplomacy

Türkiye’s energy ambitions also extend beyond its borders. TPAO is actively engaged in 10 international oil and gas projects across Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In 2022, total production from these overseas ventures amounted to 35.47 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Türkiye is also moving forward with plans to include Libya in its international energy portfolio. Following a maritime boundary agreement signed in 2019, a 2022 bilateral cooperation deal authorized TPAO to operate in offshore Libyan fields.

Just in 2024 alone, Türkiye signed new energy agreements with Iran, Venezuela, Turkmenistan, Somalia, and Mongolia. Among these, Somalia stands out for its untapped offshore potential. Türkiye plans to conduct 3D seismic surveys in Somali waters before the end of 2024. If results are positive, drilling operations could commence as early as 2025.