Welcoming remarks by MINEX Forum organisers

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

Keynotes: High-level representatives from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and other focus countries.

Background

Driven by a state target to scale solar and wind capacity to 120 gigawatts by 2035, Türkiye is pivoting from a traditional exporter of raw minerals into a high-value midstream refining hub. This structural shift moves beyond the historical “dig-and-ship” model, prioritising domestic value-chain integration and technological sovereignty. The cornerstone of this ambition is the world-class Beylikova rare earth elements (REE) project in Eskişehir.

The global race to secure critical raw materials — from lithium and rare earths to cobalt and copper — is redrawing the map of international trade and industrial strategy. At the same time, the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route) is evolving from a simple logistics bypass into a potential integrated industrial belt spanning Turkey, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. This session will explore how the Middle Corridor, supercharged by the TRIPP framework, can successfully evolve into an integrated industrial belt. The session will address the delicate balance between commercial opportunity and regional friction, evaluating how to merge mineral extraction and localised high-value processing with synchronized, multi-modal transport networks to build resilient, de-risked supply chains connecting East and West.

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.

sponsored by the Department of Business and Trade