Alparslan Bayraktar. Alparslan Bayraktar (born 1975) is a Turkish academic, engineer, and politician who has served as the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources since 2023. Before his appointment as minister, Bayraktar held several positions within the ministry, including Deputy Minister and Commissioner of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority. 

Since 2015, Bayraktar has been the chair of the World Energy Council Türkiye and, since 2018, the Istanbul Center for Regulation.

Early life and education 
Bayraktar, born on July 9, 1975, in Kırıkhan, Hatay Province, Turkey, is a Turkish academic, engineer, and politician. His family, originally from Trabzon, later moved to Ankara, where he completed his education. Bayraktar earned a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University and an M.A. in International Relations from Tufts University in Massachusetts. He further obtained an LL.M. in Law and Economics from Bilkent University in Ankara.  Bayraktar received his Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental Economics, and Policy from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey, focusing his research on "A Multidimensional Analysis of Turkish-German Low Carbon Energy Transitions."

During his academic career, Bayraktar has lectured at Bilkent University in Ankara for the Energy Economics, Policy, and Security (EEPS) program and at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara.  Bayraktar has contributed to several op-eds and articles on topics such as energy transition, enhancing supply security, and energy governance.

Career 
Before assuming his role as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey on June 4, 2023, Bayraktar served in several different roles. He was Deputy Minister from 2018 to 2023, and Deputy Undersecretary following his role as the General Director of International Affairs and European Union from 2016 to 2018. Bayraktar also served as a Commissioner of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority of Turkey from 2010 to 2016.

Bayraktar was a board member of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) from 2018 to 2023 and played a significant role in the project's development.

Bayraktar played a significant role in the "Turkish Energy Transition 1.0," which laid the groundwork for the National Energy and Mining Strategy and future initiatives. The period before 2016 was marked by recognizing the need for a roadmap to ensure efficient energy supply and promote clean energy. Following the announcement of Turkey's National Energy and Mining Strategy in 2017, Bayraktar, as Minister, outlined plans for "Turkish Energy Transition 2.0." This next phase prioritizes policies aimed at enhancing supply security, reducing foreign dependency, and diversifying Turkey’s energy mix by increasing the share of renewables. The goal is to achieve net-zero targets set for 2035 and 2053.

Bayraktar aims to increase the localization of energy consumption through investment projects, promoting domestic production to create job opportunities and reduce foreign dependence. These objectives align with the goals he pursued during his tenure as Deputy Minister.

Bayraktar has spoken at numerous international energy events, addressing topics such as the future of energy, carbon neutrality goals, and the role of nuclear energy as a transition tool for achieving clean energy.

References

 

1975 births
Living people
Turkish engineers
Istanbul Technical University alumni
Bilkent University alumni
Middle East Technical University alumni
Ministers of energy and natural resources of Turkey
Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians
People from Hatay Province
Members of the 67th government of Turkey