Turkey’s First Offshore Wind Tender in 2026: Investor Guide

Turkey is preparing to open an entirely new chapter in its renewable energy story. Following years of rapid onshore wind development — 14,700 MW installed capacity and 2 GW added in 2025 alone — the country is now setting its sights on offshore wind. Turkey’s first offshore wind tender is expected in 2026, according to Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and TÜREB President İbrahim Erden. For global energy majors, offshore-specialist developers and investment funds, this represents one of the most significant emerging market entry opportunities in the European near-abroad.

This guide breaks down Turkey’s offshore wind potential by geography, the expected tender structure, project economics and actionable entry strategies for foreign investors.

Why Offshore? Moving Beyond Onshore Limitations

Turkey’s onshore wind sector has grown impressively, but constraints are becoming more visible: premium wind corridors near demand centres are filling up, local opposition to turbine noise and visual impact is increasing, and topography limits turbine size in the most resource-rich areas.

Offshore wind systematically removes all three barriers:

Capacity factors: 40–50% across the Marmara and Aegean — roughly 10 percentage points above Turkey’s onshore average
Turbine scale: 15 MW+ machines, impractical onshore, become standard offshore
Reduced conflict: Sufficient distance from coastlines minimises visual and acoustic objections
Project scale: Single offshore projects can realistically deliver 500 MW–2 GW in one package

Turkey’s Offshore Wind Resource: Marmara, Aegean and Black Sea

Turkey borders three seas, each offering a distinct offshore wind proposition:

Marmara Sea

Istanbul, Tekirdağ and Balıkesir coastlines combine dense industrial load with shallow water depths suited to fixed-bottom foundations. Proximity to the national grid limits transmission costs. The semi-enclosed sea provides calmer construction logistics compared to open ocean environments.

Aegean Sea

The İzmir–Muğla corridor hosts some of Turkey’s strongest sustained wind speeds. Existing onshore wind infrastructure, port facilities and a skilled local workforce provide a mature base for offshore expansion. Deeper offshore zones open the door to floating foundation technologies — placing Turkey alongside Norway and Portugal in the next frontier of offshore development.

Black Sea

High and consistent wind speeds driven by regional trade winds offer outstanding resource quality. Current depths point towards floating offshore as the primary technology, which means this basin is a longer-dated opportunity. Post-2022 geopolitical dynamics also add an energy security dimension to Black Sea projects that is not lost on European policymakers.

The 2026 Tender: Structure and Market Expectations

Based on ministerial announcements and sector intelligence, Turkey’s first offshore wind tender is expected to follow the established YEKA (Renewable Energy Resource Areas) competitive auction framework, adapted for marine environments.

Parameter	Expected Framework
Auction model	Competitive YEKA-style tender
Revenue support	USD-denominated FiT (10-year)
Contract length	15–20 years
Initial capacity	500 MW–1 GW (first phase)
Local content requirement	Anticipated, based on onshore precedent
Priority zones	Marmara and/or Aegean

A critical differentiator versus European offshore markets: Turkey’s USD-denominated feed-in tariff provides structural foreign exchange protection. UK and German offshore investors are exposed to GBP/EUR fluctuations against USD-priced equipment and financing; in Turkey, the FiT currency alignment reduces this risk materially.

Project Economics: What the Numbers Show

Global offshore wind costs have moved significantly since 2020. Supply chain pressures pushed LCOE upwards in 2022–2024, but technology maturation and growing scale are reasserting a downward trend in the medium term.

2026 reference ranges:

Fixed-bottom offshore CAPEX: USD 2.5–3.5 million/MW
Floating offshore CAPEX: USD 4–5.5 million/MW (declining as technology matures)
LCOE (fixed-bottom): USD 60–90/MWh depending on site and financing conditions
Turbine power class: 12–18 MW (installed, not nameplate)

Turkey’s competitive cost structure — lower labour costs, incentivised local manufacturing and strategic equipment import routes — creates a 10–15% cost advantage versus comparable projects in mature Western European markets.

Turkish Supply Chain: From İzmir–Aliağa to Open Water

Turkey’s onshore wind manufacturing base is already substantial. The Siemens Gamesa–Türkerler facility in İzmir Aliağa, combined with domestic tower, blade and inverter production, reflects a local content ecosystem built over fifteen years of YEKA-driven policy.

For offshore, key supply chain considerations include:

Port infrastructure: Aliağa, Ambarlı and İskenderun can handle large offshore components; however, Turkey currently lacks a domestic installation vessel fleet — initial projects will require chartering from European operators.
Subsea cable: Nexans and Prysmian both have Turkish manufacturing facilities, positioning local supply chain well for inter-array and export cable requirements.
Local content requirement: As with onshore YEKA, a minimum domestic content threshold is expected. Far from being a burden, this creates an investment incentive for turbine component manufacturers to establish Turkish facilities — a value-creating proposition for supply chain investors.

Entry Strategies for Foreign Investors

With the tender still in development, positioning decisions made today will determine competitive advantage in 2026. Three primary strategies are emerging among international players:

1. Joint Venture with a Turkish Partner The most time-efficient market entry route. A Turkish partner brings permitting relationships, domestic content knowledge and regulatory process fluency. This structure also naturally satisfies local content requirements and reduces political risk perception.

2. EPC Contractor Role Experienced offshore EPC firms can partner as subcontractors to winning Turkish or joint-venture consortia. This approach limits balance sheet exposure while allowing market intelligence accumulation ahead of future independent participation.

3. Equipment and Technology Supplier Investors willing to establish Turkish manufacturing capacity for turbines, foundations, cables or SCADA systems gain both tender preference through local content compliance and an export platform to neighbouring markets.

Permitting: What’s Different Offshore?

Compared to onshore projects, offshore wind permits involve several additional workstreams:

Marine Environmental Impact Assessment: Covers sea-floor ecology, migratory routes, fish spawning areas and marine mammal impacts — a dedicated process parallel to the standard EIA
Navigation Safety Approval: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure sign-off, coordinating with both commercial and military maritime traffic authorities
Fisheries Stakeholder Engagement: Dialogue with local fishing cooperatives is a social licence requirement that materially de-risks project timelines
Sea Area Allocation: Coordination with DSİ (State Hydraulic Works) and relevant maritime authorities for formal area assignment

How Turkey’s Super Permit Reform — which cut onshore project timelines from four years to under two — will be applied to offshore permitting will become clear as the regulatory framework is published.

Financing Pathways

Turkey’s offshore wind projects can draw on a diverse set of financing sources:

EBRD and EIB: Both institutions are active in Turkish renewable energy and are well-positioned to support offshore pilot projects through technical assistance grants and project finance.
Islamic Development Bank: A natural conduit for Gulf-origin capital into Turkish infrastructure — relevant given growing GCC interest in Turkey’s energy sector.
Green and Sustainability-Linked Bonds: Increasingly used by Turkish and international banks to finance Turkish renewable assets; offshore projects qualify for green bond frameworks under ICMA principles.
MIGA and DFC: Political risk insurance and US development finance can optimise the cost of capital for USD-funded investors while providing additional comfort to project finance lenders.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly will Turkey’s offshore wind tender launch?

Based on statements from Energy Minister Bayraktar and TÜREB President İbrahim Erden, the first tender is planned for 2026. An exact date has not been published; the regulatory framework is currently being finalised.

Will there be a local content requirement for offshore wind in Turkey?

While final rules have not been published, the onshore YEKA precedent strongly suggests a domestic content threshold will apply. This is expected to incentivise supply chain localisation rather than simply restrict foreign participation.

Can a foreign company bid in the tender independently?

Foreign companies can participate, but forming a consortium with a qualified Turkish partner is strongly advisable both for regulatory compliance and for effective navigation of the permitting and construction process.

What permits are required for offshore wind in Turkey?

In addition to standard energy project permits, offshore projects require: a Marine EIA, navigation safety approval from the Ministry of Transport, formal sea area allocation, and documented engagement with local fishing communities.

How large is Turkey’s realistic offshore wind potential?

While the 2035 National Energy Plan does not set a specific offshore target, sector estimates suggest 5–10 GW of fixed-bottom potential in the Marmara and Aegean alone — with significantly greater potential in deeper Aegean and Black Sea zones as floating technology matures.

Position Early: Work with Intercon on Turkey’s Offshore Wind Opportunity

Intercon’s London and Istanbul offices are already engaged with the offshore wind regulatory process in Turkey. With over 20 years of operational experience across the Turkish renewable energy ecosystem — spanning YEKA tenders, EPDK licensing, Ministry-level stakeholder management and international investor matchmaking — we are uniquely positioned to guide foreign investors into this emerging market.

Our offshore wind advisory services include:

Pre-tender regulatory intelligence and timeline mapping
Consortium structuring and Turkish partner identification
Marine permitting coordination (EIA, navigation, sea area allocation)
Financing advisory: EBRD, EIB, MIGA and green bond structuring
Proximity to European investors via our London office (16 Upper Woburn Place, WC1H 0AF)

The window for early positioning is open now — before the tender is announced. Contact Intercon to begin your offshore wind strategy for Turkey. → intercon-tr.com/contact

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