A Collaborative Action for Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Tüpraş and Turkish Airlines Sign Letter of Intent
Tüpraş and Turkish Airlines have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) supporting Turkey’s carbon neutrality goals and decarbonization of the aviation sector. Under this agreement, Tüpraş will supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Turkish Airlines, produced at its İzmir Refinery. This collaboration marks Turkish Airlines’ first domestic agreement for SAF procurement. Tüpraş and Turkish Airlines take a leading role in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), reaffirming their commitment to reducing carbon emissions in energy and aviation. While Tüpraş leads Turkey’s energy transformation with its refining capacity, technology, and sustainability vision, Turkish Airlines, which is officially recognized “most countries flown by an airline” reinforces its global leadership in air travel with a strong commitment to environmental responsibility through this agreement. The strategic collaboration between Tüpraş and Turkish Airlines sets a precedent in the industry as the first domestic SAF procurement agreement and supports Turkey’s international environmental commitments.
With a mission to ensure Turkey’s energy supply safely and without interruption, Tüpraş is the primary supplier for Istanbul Airport, one of the region’s key aviation hubs, and currently supplies 74% of Turkey’s jet fuel demand. As part of its Strategic Transformation Plan announced in 2021 under the motto “Energy for the Future,” Tüpraş aims to become Turkey’s leading SAF producer. SAF production is set to begin in 2026 at the İzmir Refinery, initially utilizing existing facilities, positioning Tüpraş as the first SAF producer in Turkey. SAF, planned to be produced from bio-based feedstocks, is expected to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 87% compared to conventional jet fuel. The product will comply with ICAO’s CORSIA carbon offsetting program and be certified with internationally recognized standards.
This collaboration highlights the visionary approaches and strong market positions of both companies and serves as an indicator of Turkey’s steady progress toward a sustainable future in energy and aviation.
Commenting on the agreement, Tüpraş General Manager İbrahim Yelmenoğlu stated:
"We are pleased to contribute to our country’s carbon neutrality goals through this SAF cooperation with Turkish Airlines. We will begin SAF production next year at our İzmir Refinery by leveraging our existing facilities. We aim to finalize the investment decision for a new unit that will increase our SAF production capacity to 300,000 tons by the end of this year. The use of SAF is becoming a necessity under both international and local regulations for the decarbonization of the aviation sector. This agreement with Turkish Airlines is a valuable step toward becoming Turkey’s leading SAF supplier, both now and in the future. In line with our goal to become a carbon-neutral energy company by 2050, we continue to invest across a wide spectrum—from sustainable refining and zero-carbon electricity generation to SAF and green hydrogen technologies—leading the way toward a low-carbon future for our country and industry.”
Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi also shared his thoughts on the collaboration:
“Sustainability is a top priority for Turkish Airlines, on par with operational excellence. In addition to modernizing our fleet to reduce the environmental impact of our flights, we are also focused on increasing the use of alternative fuels. This collaboration with Tüpraş is strategically important not only for SAF procurement but also for contributing to the development of Turkey’s production capacity in this field. Aware of our global responsibility in the aviation sector, we continue to develop low-carbon solutions and believe that such national-level partnerships will have a significant environmental and economic impact.
As we work toward our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, we are committed to improving our environmental performance across all areas—from our supply chain to flight operations. This partnership is a key milestone for the future of sustainable aviation in Turkey.”