Persistent drought conditions in Türkiye are forcing the country to rely more heavily on expensive energy imports to maintain its power supply, according to the authors of the newly released report. When water levels in reservoirs drop, hydroelectric generation decreases, and the power system compensates by increasing the output of natural gas plants, which are largely fueled by foreign supplies.
The report notes that “in Türkiye, hydropower and natural gas plants effectively substitute for each other,” and “drought leads to an average annual increase of $1.8 billion in fossil gas imports.”
Essentially, the country’s power grid works like a balancing act between water and gas. Hydropower, which uses flowing water to create electricity, has historically been a primary energy source, but it depends entirely on rainfall and snowmelt. When dry periods hit and the dams cannot produce enough power, the grid turns to natural gas plants to fill the gap. Because Türkiye produces very little of its own gas, it must purchase more from abroad, turning a weather-related shortage into a multi-billion dollar financial burden.
The report “Türkiye Electricity Review 2026” was published by the international energy think tank Ember on April 8, 2026. It was authored by Ufuk Alparslan, the organization’s Regional Lead for Türkiye and the Caucasus, alongside a team of researchers.
