Economic development and energy infrastructure discussed in Turkey

At the ISEPA’26 symposium in Diyarbakır, Mehmet Kaya, President of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTSO), called for a more balanced distribution of investments across Turkey. Kaya noted that over the last 24 years, the most developed regions received 61% of investment incentives, while 29 provinces in the fifth and sixth development zones received only 10%. He emphasized that increasing public investment in infrastructure, education, and legal predictability is essential for regional development.

Separately, Barış Erdeniz, Chairman of ELDER, addressed the electricity distribution sector, noting that loss and leakage rates have fallen to 8.8%. Erdeniz highlighted a projected need for at least $50 billion in investments to strengthen distribution networks by 2035. He stated that approximately $22 billion in investments is expected over the next five years, stressing the importance of access to low-cost financing and green finance mechanisms to support energy transformation and digitalization.