Türkiye is below its potential
Turkey's annual gold production is 40 tons. This is 2.5 percent of the officially determined reserve of 1,500 tons. According to experts, there are still 4,500 tons of gold underground waiting to be discovered. The gold issue in Turkey is a subject of long debate... The gist of the matter is simple. There are many reserves (assumed), production is low, and imports are at record levels. Before we get to imports, let's discuss the current gold reserve assumptions we have. The most up-to-date data is a study conducted by Prof. Dr. Ayhan Erler, a faculty member at the METU Geological Engineering Department, in 1997. New current research is on the way, but for now, we have the most up-to-date data obtained by the Gold Miners Association... So what are the details of this research? In 1997, a gram of gold was 260 TL. Why did I share this information; because the amount of gold that can be extracted from 1 ton of rock in a gold mine must be large enough for it to be worth doing and cover its cost. As the price of gram gold increases over time with today's figures, the gold that can be extracted from 1 ton of rock becomes economically exploitable even if it is 0.3 grams.