Özgür Özel's 'rare earth element' warning following Erdoğan's US visit: 'Stop Erdoğan'

The discussions regarding rare earth elements, which CHP Chairman Özgür Özel brought up at his party's group meeting, and the importance of these elements have become a topic of debate. According to the MTA, while these elements are critical in the production of today's technology, it turns out that their processed form, rather than the raw ore, generates significant added value.

In this context, the elements that the US will purchase from Turkey at a very low cost have the potential to generate billions of dollars in added value for the US.

Turkey is conducting cooperation talks with the United States (US) for the rare earth element reserves in Eskişehir-Beylikova. According to information reported by Bloomberg, while there is no signed agreement between the parties yet, options for technology and investment partnerships regarding the processing and refining of the elements extracted from the Beylikova field are being evaluated.

TURKEY IS SECOND AFTER CHINA

According to a report by Halktv, the reserve in Eskişehir was announced in 2022 by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) and Eti Maden as approximately 694 million tons of ore. This amount makes Turkey the country with the second-largest rare earth element potential after China. The field contains strategically important elements such as Neodymium, Praseodymium, Dysprosium, Terbium, Lanthanum, Cerium, Yttrium, and Scandium.

ELEMENTS AND CRITICAL AREAS OF USE

According to experts, these elements play a central role in today's technologies.

Neodymium and Praseodymium are used in the production of permanent magnets required for electric vehicle motors and wind turbines.

Dysprosium and Terbium enable the production of magnets resistant to high temperatures.

While Lanthanum and Cerium are used in many areas from automotive catalysts to energy batteries,

Elements such as Yttrium, Europium, and Terbium are utilized in LED screens, laser systems, and fiber optic networks.

Scandium is preferred in lightweight but high-strength aluminum alloys used in the aerospace industry.

Due to these properties, rare earth elements are considered basic raw materials in electric transportation, renewable energy, the defense industry, and digital production chains. In the energy transition process, wind turbines, electric vehicle motors, and battery technologies are becoming directly dependent on these elements.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER DEBATE

Turkey established a pilot facility in Beylikova in 2023 and began refinery work on a limited scale. However, the separation, purification, and refining technologies required for full-scale production have not yet been developed domestically.

According to Bloomberg's report, it is stated that the US side specifically proposed the provision of these technologies and the integration of certain parts of the production chain into the US industry during the talks, while Turkey brought up the conditions for technology transfer and domestic added value.

The processing of rare earth elements involves processes that require high investment and are environmentally sensitive. For this reason, approximately 90 percent of world production is still carried out by China. In Turkey, the model for the production process at the Beylikova field is being evaluated alongside debates over “whether the extracted ore or the processed product will be exported.”

RARE ELEMENTS COMPARED TO OIL

Experts point out that rare elements have become a strategic resource “as critical as oil” in the 21st century. These elements are used in many sectors, from defense systems to renewable energy technologies, and from digital devices to the space industry.

For Turkey, these resources are important both in terms of energy transition and reducing foreign dependency. The framework in which the talks will proceed and how a possible agreement will reflect on production, processing, and export processes in Turkey will become clear in the coming period.

ÖZEL: LET'S PROTECT THEM, LET'S NOT LET THEM BE SOLD

CHP Chairman Özel drew attention to this issue, which is not well known by the public, at his party's group meeting today. Stating that Turkey is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of reserves of these rare elements, Özel conveyed that world superpowers are after these elements.

Özel said that products such as green energy, mobile phones, computers, and tablets are produced with these elements. Noting that technology progresses through these, Özel stated that if the US and China are going to fight in the coming years, they will fight for this reason.

Emphasizing that no party has denied this, Özel asked the public to put pressure on the government not to grant the US the authority to process these elements in Turkey.

"STOP ERDOĞAN, STOP HIM"

Özel addressed everyone with a conscience, saying 'I beg you' for this highly critical situation:

Stop Erdoğan. Stop him. Turkey must stand up regarding rare elements. Erdoğan cannot sell the future of this country for his own future. We must not let it be sold. This is my call to AK Party members as well. It is my call to MHP members as well. I am complaining to the nation. Rare elements are Turkey's future. They cannot be given to Trump. Let's protect them, let's not let them be sold.

Özel's statement regarding the value of rare elements at his group meeting today is as follows:

In the world, there is now a reality called rare earth elements. And thank God for these beautiful lands. With its three sides surrounded by seas, with Istanbul where the sea flows through it, with Çanakkale, with its beautiful climate, fish, vegetation, snow, sun, fertile lands, and hardworking people, this country has given everything.

It has also given this. Some studies show that Turkey is the 5th country in the world in terms of reserves that possess these elements the most. The Minister says so too. Some studies say we are not in the top 8. We might be 9th, 10th, 11th. So, once again, since the birth of this nation and our taking ownership of this country since Malazgirt in 1071.

"THERE IS A BIRD OF FORTUNE IN THESE LANDS"

Since we saved it from occupation with Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. There is a bird of fortune in these lands that we all stand on, which we all keep watch over in the military. But it is a bird of fortune like this. 48% of this reserve, some say 80%, but clearly 48% is definitely in China. China is trying to finish the world's reserves without spending its own. Trump, in the midst of so much blood and tears.

"TECHNOLOGY PROGRESSES THROUGH THESE"

While saying Ukraine, Ukraine, he says to Ukraine, I will save you but you will give me the rare elements. All calculations revolve around this. And when you take these elements, green energy, mobile phones, computers, tablets. That is, whatever we do not produce in Turkey and buy with money, paying for it, is produced using these elements. And it will continue to be produced. Every new invention depends on them. Technology progresses through these.

"NEITHER AMERICA NOR TURKEY DENIED IT"

And now, both China and America in the world are preparing the army to attack China 2 years from now. If they are going to fight, they will fight for this. If they are going to make peace with each other, they will make peace for the sake of this. We are at such a point. He went behind closed doors, and yesterday Bloomberg announced my allegations.

Neither America nor Turkey denied it. American sources are confirming it anyway. He went and bargained for these. He is giving these mines in Eskişehir Beylikova, which are very important for technologies such as battery production, smartphones, and laser turbines, where these are most abundant, to Trump.

"HE IS GIVING THE ELEMENT AND GETTING LEGITIMACY IN RETURN"

He is getting legitimacy in return. Look, they will take these elements while they are in a mixture in the soil, inside other ores. They will distill one at 2002 degrees. They will do it at 2005 degrees Celsius with the technology they have there. They will buy it from us for one lira and distill it.

"HE WANTS THESE RARE ELEMENTS FOR APPLE"

They will use it at the micron level. They will sell the mobile phone they produce to Turkey. The essence of the matter is this. The thing he bought for 1 lira will return to us for 1000 lira. I am giving you the numbers. He already dominates the whole market, there is no advertising or anything. There is Apple, right? Apple, the one that makes these iPhones. Apple's exports are 391 billion dollars. They want these rare elements for Apple. 391 billion dollars.

Turkey's exports are 262 billion dollars. Last year, one firm, Apple, makes and sells mobile phones, 391 billion dollars. Whatever Turkey produces, from agricultural products to industrial products, everything you can think of produced in factories, the televisions and refrigerators that the television factory in Manisa sells to 180 countries are included in this, if we are exporting Togg for example, this is also included in this, all kinds of industrial products are included, and 262, just Apple 300, we are talking about such a difference.

"IF YOU GIVE IT TO TRUMP, HE WILL PROCESS IT AND SELL IT TO YOU NEXT YEAR"

Now, if you take this goose that will lay golden eggs and give it to Trump, he will process it and sell it to you next year. What is on hand will run out, and 30 years later our grandchildren will be left empty-handed. There is no profit here, but Trump's profit is huge. The money he will give here will neither feed you nor us.

Nor will it fix the current account deficit. They are giving a rough amount of money. But they are doing a job where they will earn 1000 for every 1. Why? We don't have that technology. We will. When this nation emerged from the War of Independence, 100 years ago when Gazi Mustafa Kemal founded the Republic, there wasn't even a sewing needle. There wasn't even a nail to shoe a horse.

But they worked properly and honestly. They trusted the youth. An education mobilization was carried out. The right things were done. In the end, Turkey became a country that could produce airplanes, produce train cars, and be self-sufficient in a short time. When the children of this nation, 100 years later, when we start a great development move once again, when we get rid of this spider-brained Ministry of National Education and instead cadres who see the world and know how to work come, when importance is given to R&D, Turkey will attain these technologies.

"THE GOOSE THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS..."

20 years from now, a friend said yesterday. If the teleportation of matter is to happen from Turkey to Europe, from here to there like in the movies, the technology used here will be rare elements. It is not right to give the goose that lays golden eggs to Trump now and settle for two eggs.

"I AM BEGGING FROM HERE, SHOUTING: DO NOT LET THEM BE SOLD"

I am begging from here. As the leader of the main opposition, I call on everyone with a conscience, everyone with a mind, to stop Erdoğan, who is trading the future of this country with his own future to Trump. Stop him. Turkey must stand up regarding rare elements.

Erdoğan cannot sell the future of this country for his own future. We must not let it be sold. This is my call to AK Party members as well. It is my call to MHP members as well. I am complaining to the nation. Rare elements are Turkey's future. They cannot be given to Trump. Let's protect them, let's not let them be sold.