Azerbaijani and Turkish Energy Ministers Visit SOCAR Türkiye’s Production Site in Aliağa, İzmir
As part of their participation in the “4th Türkiye-Azerbaijan Energy Forum” held in İzmir, Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar visited the production facilities of SOCAR Türkiye’s group companies Petkim and STAR Refinery, located in Aliağa, İzmir.
Hosted by SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf, the visit included a tour of SOCAR Türkiye’s production facilities, which are of strategic importance for both the Azerbaijani and Turkish economies. During the discussions held as part of the visit, the ministers emphasized the critical role both countries play in the energy sector, the comprehensive cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and SOCAR’s upcoming investment plans in Türkiye.
The meeting also highlighted the value of Petkim’s 60-year legacy to Türkiye and the wider petrochemical industry, underlining its position as the country’s first and only integrated petrochemical complex and a globally recognized player. In addition, the strategic importance of STAR Refinery—Türkiye’s largest refinery with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 13 million tons—was underscored, particularly in relation to its role in providing Petkim with a reliable and high-quality naphtha supply.
The visit to SOCAR Türkiye’s Aliağa site—home to Petkim, STAR Refinery, and other key subsidiaries, and designated as Türkiye’s first “Special Industrial Zone”—was attended not only by the energy ministers of both nations but also by high-level government officials from Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani delegation included Muhtar Babayev, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues; Deputy Minister of Energy Orkhan Zeynalov; and Azerbaijani Consul General in Istanbul Narmina Mustafayeva. Representing Türkiye were Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Zafer Demircan, Director General of Energy Affairs Ahmet Özkaya, Director General of Foreign Relations Öztürk Selvitop, BOTAŞ General Manager Abdülvahit Fidan, TEİAŞ General Manager Orhan Kaldırım, and TPPD (Türkiye Petrolleri Petrol Dağıtım) General Manager Ahmet Türkoğlu.