Türkiye could announce a new oil discovery at its Gabar field in southeastern Türkiye as the country steps up domestic exploration to reduce reliance on imported energy, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on October 17, according to Türkiye Today.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week in Moscow, Bayraktar said “Oil and natural gas exploration activities are continuing both offshore and on land. Oil production in Gabar is also an important part of these efforts.”

The prospective discovery would build on the Gabar field’s growing contribution to Türkiye’s domestic oil supply. On August 6, 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources reported that production at Gabar had reached a record 83,300 barrels per day (bbl/d), with cumulative crude oil output exceeding 50 million barrels since production began in 2021.

The field is operated by state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and forms a central part of Ankara’s efforts to expand domestic hydrocarbon production. In December 2022, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the discovery of 150 million barrels of net oil reserves in Gabar Mountain. “It is one of the top 10 onshore discoveries in 2022. The reserve value is approximately 12 billion dollars,” Erdogan said.

Türkiye’s broader production growth reinforces the strategic importance of further discoveries. According to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, domestic oil production rose 26% to 47.9 million barrels in 2025, up from 38 million barrels in 2024, while natural gas production increased 39% to 3.2 billion cubic meters. The country nevertheless imports around two-thirds of its energy needs and faces an annual energy import bill estimated by the ministry at $60 billion to $70 billion.