Yep, this is about local politics. It is customary in Turkish politics to discover vast natural resources from time to time and promise that good times are ahea

Yep, this is about local politics. It is customary in Turkish politics to discover vast natural resources from time to time and promise that good times are ahead if you vote for Erdogan one more time(this field was discovered months before the 2023 elections). They are often exaggerated, although resources exist. There's a meme from the previous election cycle about a pro-Erdogan TV personality celebrating the natural gas reserves discovered before elections instructing citizens to open the windows and run the boilers even if its a hot day because Turkey is now a natural gas boss. The Turkish state isn't shy from selling access to these resources to foreign companies but this often leads to scandals and environmental disasters. Last year SSR mining, a Canadian company, had a huge mine collapse. Also, there are issues about cutting down forests to access mines that creates a lot of trouble for the government as it leads to widespread protests. So what's the minister is actually saying is that Don't worry we are not going to sell it to foreign companies that will ruin the environment this time in response to rumours that they are going to sell it. But in Turkey, nobody remembers anything so anything can happen.