Rare earth elements in Eskişehir and the report by Chinese scientists

Research conducted by Chinese scientists on the Kızılcaören rare earth element deposit in Eskişehir has brought Turkey's strategic mineral potential and the competition of global powers in this field back into focus.

In the research led by Professor Yang Xiaoyong from the University of Science and Technology of China and Hebei GEO University, featured in the South China Morning Post newspaper, the geological evolution of the Kızılcaören deposit was examined. The examinations stated that the mineralization in the region remains limited compared to large-scale rare earth deposits and that it will not be easy to become a strong alternative for global producers in the near future. According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, while there is a complex ore weighing 694 million tons containing bastnasite, barite, fluorite, and thorium in the field between Beylikova and Sivrihisar, rare earth oxides constitute approximately 12.5 million tons of this resource.

Possessing 73 percent of the world's boron reserves, Turkey maintains its global market leadership in the field of boron, which holds strategic value in defense, nuclear technology, and advanced materials. According to the targets announced by Eti Maden General Manager Yalçın Aydın in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), it is expected to achieve an income of 1 billion 560 million dollars with the sale of 2 million 700 thousand tons of boron products in 2026. Boron carbide and ferroboron investments in Bandırma and lithium recovery efforts in Kırka, Eskişehir support the country's goals of creating high value-added products and a new industrial chain.

Assessment

Geostrategy Expert Dr. Ahmet Uslu stated that the primary exams facing Turkey are to clarify the economic magnitude of underground resources and to transform these minerals into high-technology products. Uslu noted that at the center of the competition between the US and China lies dominating the technology to process minerals rather than simply possessing them, while China maintains its global superiority through its industrial infrastructure in separation, refining, and magnet production.