Turkey is hosting the COP31 climate conference, at a time when coal is still the country's leading source of electricity generation, accounting for about a third of production, in a paradox that reflects the difficulty of balancing the ambitions of the green transformation with the needs of energy security.
Coal accounted for 33.3% of the total electricity produced in Turkey during the year 2025, with a production of about 121 terawatt-hours, while about two-thirds of the electricity produced from coal came in line with imported fuel.
On the other hand, the combined contribution of solar and wind energy reached about 22% of electricity production, while Ankara aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 55% by 2035.
As Turkey expands clean energy projects, it continues to provide financial guarantees to domestic coal plants, putting its climate ambitions to a real test between reducing emissions and ensuring energy security.