 of deliberately stalling efforts to build facilities to process newly discovered rare earth elements, claiming the government intends instead to hand them over to the United States at bargain prices.){kind=link}
A senior lawmaker from Turkey’s main opposition party on Tuesday accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of deliberately stalling efforts to build facilities to process newly discovered rare earth elements, claiming the government intends instead to hand them over to the United States at bargain prices.
Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said a 2023 audit of state-owned mining company Eti Maden showed that no plants had been established more than a decade after Turkish geologists identified the Beylikova reserves in western Eskişehir province.
Eti Maden İşletmeleri Sayıştay Denetim Raporuna göre⬇️
AKP’nin, Eskişehir Beylikova’daki Nadir Toprak Elementlerinin dışa bağımlı olunmadan üretilmesini sağlayacak endüstriyel tesisleri kurma sürecini savsakladığını tespit ettik.
Bulguda;
Havacılık, savunma, uzay sanayi,… pic.twitter.com/xs34SpgRVC
— Deniz Yavuzyılmaz (@yavuzyilmazd) October 7, 2025
He argued that the finding proves the government never intended to invest in domestic processing capacity. “These priceless minerals are being held back so they can be given away to the United States,” Yavuzyılmaz said in a post on X.
The dispute comes as Ankara is negotiating with Washington on developing the Beylikova site, after earlier talks with China and Russia collapsed over disagreements on technology transfer and refining rights, according to Bloomberg. Discussions with Canada and Switzerland are also under way for feasibility studies, while Turkey is preparing to seek JORC Code certification — an international reporting standard seen as key to attracting serious investors.
The Beylikova deposit contains critical rare earths such as cerium, praseodymium and neodymium, essential for permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, defense systems and electronics. It also has scandium, used in aerospace alloys and fuel cells, as well as europium and yttrium, crucial for LED and screen technologies. Bloomberg reported that initial tests show the ore contains more than 1 percent rare earth oxide by weight, enough to make extraction commercially viable.
At a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, CHP leader Özgür Özel escalated the criticism, warning against what he called the surrender of Turkey’s mineral wealth. “As the leader of the opposition, I call on everyone with a conscience and common sense to stop Erdoğan from selling out this country’s future for his own,” he said.
“Turkey must rise to defend its rare earths. These minerals are the future of Turkey. They cannot be given to Trump. We must protect them and not allow their sale,” he added.
Ankara’s engagement with Western partners comes as the United States and European Union intensify efforts to reduce China’s dominance in rare earths. China currently accounts for about 70 percent of global mining and over 90 percent of refining capacity for the 17 critical elements, which are vital for defense, advanced medical technology and consumer electronics.
Turkish officials have said any deal must include provisions for technology transfer and local manufacturing, in line with Ankara’s broader approach in agreements with major US defense contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding with China in October 2024, but talks collapsed over technology transfer disputes. In 2025 Ankara shifted focus to the US and other Western partners.