Host Keynote: Türkiye’s structural shift from volume-driven growth to a value-focused production model and role as Eurasian logistics gateway

Global demand for critical minerals is reshaping geopolitics. This opening plenary sets the strategic vision for the forum, examining how the Middle Corridor — from Central Asia through the South Caucasus and Türkiye — can evolve from a transit route into an integrated industrial belt. Speakers will address the Tethyan Belt’s significance, regional mineral endowments, and the policy architecture required to unlock value.

Türkiye’s mining sector stands at the threshold of a transformative decade. With mining exports projected to surpass $10 billion in 2026, the country is shifting from a traditional volume-driven model to a value-focused, processing-oriented approach. Strategic investments in metallic minerals, rare earth elements, and critical battery metals are positioning Türkiye not just as a regional supplier, but as a hub connecting Central Asia with Europe and Global markets.

The TITR/Middle Corridor reached 76,900 TEUs in 2025 (+36% YoY). This session examines how the route can shift from a logistics corridor to an industrial spine for mineral processing, value-added manufacturing and supply-chain integration. Discussion will cover infrastructure bottlenecks (Caspian port dredging, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars capacity, Turkish rail links), digital customs harmonisation, and the role of the EU’s €12B Central Asia investment package. The narrative shifts from ‘transit’ to ‘transformation’ — using the corridor to process materials, not just move them.

China currently imports approximately 70% of Central Asia’s critical raw materials and manages 25 active projects in the region — five times the number operated by European firms. This session examines the competitive dynamics between Chinese, Western and Middle Eastern capital in the region, the impact of US/UK/EU critical minerals diplomacy, and how host governments are navigating multi-vector strategies to extract maximum value from the global mineral race.

Investor-ready presentations from mining companies across the region, pitching to a panel of SWF, private equity and institutional investors.