From July 2025 through June 2026, just over half of Turkey’s electricity consumption came from low-carbon sources, while about 48% came from fossil fuels. Hydropower supplied about 23%, followed by wind at 12% and solar at 11%; geothermal and biofuels each contributed roughly 2–3%. On the fossil side, coal accounted for almost 30% of electricity consumption and gas for about 18%. Clean electricity now holds a narrow majority, but Turkey still relies heavily on fossil fuels, whose use contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Turkey?

Electricity consumption in Turkey is growing, although the latest increase is modest. The 2026 figure reached about 3,840 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of about 3,790 kWh in 2025 by 46 kWh, or roughly 1%. Low-carbon electricity generation made a much larger advance, reaching about 1,980 kWh per person—around 266 kWh, or 16%, above its previous record in 2024. These new highs are encouraging, particularly the stronger growth in clean electricity, but continued expansion will be important to meet demand from electrification and the growth of AI.

Suggestions

Turkey should build on its substantial wind and solar generation while also developing nuclear electricity. Nearby Mediterranean regions offer useful solar examples: Spain and Cyprus each generate about 23% of their electricity from solar, roughly twice Turkey’s current share. For wind, Denmark generates 57% and Germany about 31%, demonstrating the scope for further expansion alongside stronger grids. Nuclear can provide another major pillar of clean electricity: nearby Bulgaria generates about 38% of its electricity from nuclear, Armenia about 29%, and France roughly two-thirds. Learning from these regions could help Turkey expand a diverse, low-carbon electricity supply and reduce its dependence on coal and gas.

History

Turkey’s low-carbon electricity history has featured large hydropower swings alongside more recent solar growth. In the late 1980s and 1990s, hydro gained about 10 TWh in 1988 before losing 11 TWh in 1989, with another gain of 7 TWh in 1993 and a decline of 8 TWh in 1999. During the 2000s, increases of around 10–11 TWh in 2002 and 2004 were followed by an 8 TWh decline in 2007. The 2010s brought even larger changes: hydro rose by 16 TWh in 2010, fell by 19 TWh in 2014, rebounded by 27 TWh in 2015, dropped by 9 TWh in 2017, and surged by 29 TWh in 2019. In the 2020s, declines of roughly 12 TWh and 22 TWh in 2020 and 2021 were followed by gains of 11 TWh in 2022 and 10 TWh in 2024; a further 15 TWh decline in 2025 preceded a strong 21 TWh rebound in 2026. Solar’s gains of about 7 TWh in 2024 and 10 TWh in 2025 are especially encouraging, broadening Turkey’s clean electricity growth beyond hydropower.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.