Türkiye is stepping up its rare-earth ambitions by expanding pilot-scale production at the Eskisehir complex, signalling a clear intention to secure a place in increasingly competitive global rare-earth supply chains. Although the country is not yet a large-scale producer, its geological potential—particularly in light rare-earth elements—is drawing attention as governments and manufacturers seek to diversify supply away from traditional sources.
The Eskisehir project is conceived as more than a conventional mining venture. It forms the backbone of a vertically integrated strategy that stretches from mineral extraction to separation, metal refining, and eventually permanent magnet manufacturing. This approach supports Türkiye’s wider industrial goals, including strengthening domestic capabilities in defence, aerospace, electronics, and electric-motor technologies.
Current pilot operations are focused on optimising separation processes, cutting reagent use, and validating the scalability of hydrometallurgical flowsheets. Encouraging technical results have prompted plans to expand capacity toward the production of separated rare-earth oxides. Policymakers recognise that long-term competitiveness depends less on mining volumes and more on mastering the complex downstream processing stages where most value is created.
To accelerate this transition, Türkiye is actively seeking partnerships with international firms that possess magnet-manufacturing and advanced materials expertise. Establishing a domestic customer base for rare-earth products would reduce import dependence while leveraging Türkiye’s strategic location between European and Asian industrial markets.
As the programme advances, environmental and regulatory oversight is tightening. Managing tailings, controlling radiation risks, and ensuring effective water treatment will be essential to maintaining public trust and meeting international standards. How effectively these challenges are addressed will strongly influence investor confidence and customer acceptance.
If Türkiye succeeds in scaling beyond pilot production, it could emerge as one of the few countries outside East Asia with meaningful rare-earth processing and magnet-manufacturing capacity, reinforcing its role in regional and global strategic-materials supply chains.
