Türkiye pivots to West for rare earth element development, shunning Russia and China

Türkiye reportedly plans to cooperate with Western partners, primarily the US, to develop the large rare earth element reserves discovered in Central Anatolia, rather than working with Russia and China.

According to a Bloomberg report based on sources familiar with the matter, negotiations are ongoing between Ankara and Washington for the joint operation of the field in the Beylikova district of Eskişehir.

Previously, during a meeting at the White House between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump, a decision was made to deepen cooperation in the fields of energy and defense.

Goal to “reduce dependence on China”

Last year, Türkiye joined the Minerals Security Partnership, established by the US and the European Union, which aims to reduce dependence on China in the rare earth element supply chain.

Beijing controls approximately 80% of the global production and processing capacity.

Elements such as cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium found in the Beylikova field are used in many critical technologies, from optical glass and electronic devices to wind turbines and the engines of both internal combustion and electric cars.

Talks with Russia and China were inconclusive

The report stated that Türkiye had previously conducted negotiations with Russia for the development of this reserve, but these talks were inconclusive.

It was also noted that an attempt at cooperation with China had failed. According to sources, although a memorandum of understanding was previously signed for the project, the Beijing administration was unwilling to provide the technology transfer requested by Türkiye and insisted that the metals be processed on Chinese soil.

In addition to the US, Türkiye is also evaluating potential cooperation with Canada and Switzerland for the preparation of the project’s feasibility report.

Furthermore, there are plans to apply for Australia’s international certification standards to present the reserve amount at the site transparently to potential investors.

These standards require mining companies to publicly report their geological exploration results.

Although the exact concentration of rare earth elements in the ore has not yet been determined, initial tests indicate a content of over 1%. This level is considered sufficient to make mining economically viable.