TÜRKIYE

Türkiye has 1,738 megawatts (MW) of proposed coal capacity as of June 2026, a 67% reduction in pre-construction capacity compared to 2023. 2020 marked a turning point for coal power, as numerous projects were cancelled. 3,190 MW was cancelled or presumed to be cancelled in 2024, 4,050 MW was presumed to be cancelled in 2025, and another 200 MW was presumed to be cancelled in the first half of 2026. However, the country is one of just four in the OECD continuing to propose new coal capacity.

Yet, intense organizing and large-scale public protests against coal have helped pressure the Turkish government to cancel many projects and pass a law strengthening emissions standards for older coal plants. Coal mine expansion in the Akbelen forest was approved and subsequently reversed in March 2024. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources outlined a plan that included a projection of 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of added coal capacity by 2035 and later announced a guaranteed-rate power purchase plan for coal plants through 2030.

While the country continues to rely on coal, many plants are running with low capacity factors and experience chronic breakdowns. Türkiye’s coal-fired electricity generation has continued to increase, producing more terawatt-hours than any European country. Türkiye is well positioned for cheaper renewable energy expansion, but coal continues to be favored politically. In its most recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted in November 2025, Türkiye committed to reduce its emissions by 466 Mt CO2eq below the Business-As-Usual Scenario (BAU) and limit emissions to 643 Mt CO2eq in 2035. The latest NDC also reaffirmed Türkiye's goal of net-zero by 2053.