The role of renewable energy resources in ensuring energy supply security in Turkey

Energy is the most fundamental resource required to meet the fundamental needs of human survival, such as nourishment, heating, housing, and cooking. In general, industrial revolution and the industrialization competition among nations brought the demand for raw materials to the forefront. During the industrial revolution, the increasing need for and demand for energy marked the beginning of the modern energy approach, elevating the importance of the concept on an international scale. However, in the current state of the energy process, the limited reserves of nonrenewable energy sources (such as natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy) pose a challenge to meeting future energy needs. For these reasons, utilizing renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, hydrogen, and hydraulic), which are both inexhaustible and environmentally friendly, benefits society, states, and ultimately the world in many ways. While Middle Eastern countries are rich in underground resources, Turkey, as a neighboring country, unfortunately lacks such abundant reserves. However, Turkey holds a strategic advantage as a key transit country for transporting oil and natural gas to Europe. To minimize the risks posed by dependence on energy imports and ensure energy supply security, it is essential for Turkey, which has limited fossil fuel reserves, to continue and expand its policies in the area of renewable powers. The goal of our thesis study is for ensure that Turkey efficiently utilizes renewable energy sources, develops new policies, and observes its current situation and capacities in the process of ensuring energy supply security. Keywords: Turkey, Supply Security, Renewable Energy Resources