Investor guide
Permitting & grid connection in Turkey
Last updated 2026-08-07
- • You cannot choose your grid operator — geography decides it. Check the table below before selecting a site.
- • The call letter is the milestone lenders and off-takers look for; everything before it is preparatory.
- • The process is conducted in Turkish with regional operators, which is why international investors normally appoint a local EPC contractor.
The process, step by step
- 01
Site and grid feasibility
Before anything else we check whether the local network can absorb the plant. Irradiation is rarely the binding constraint in Turkey — available connection capacity at the nearest substation usually is. This is also where roof structure or land status is assessed.
- 02
Application to the distribution company
The application is filed with the electricity distribution company (EDAŞ) that operates the region where the plant will be built — not with a single national authority. Which company that is depends purely on location; see the table below.
- 03
Call letter for the connection agreement
If the application is accepted, the network operator issues a call letter (bağlantı anlaşmasına çağrı mektubu) — the document setting out the conditions under which the planned facility may connect. This is the milestone that turns a project from speculative into bankable.
- 04
Connection agreement
The connection agreement (bağlantı anlaşması) is then signed between the investor and the network operator, fixing the technical and commercial terms of the connection point.
- 05
Project approval, procurement and construction
Electrical and structural design is approved, equipment is procured and the plant is built. For an international client this is normally the phase where an EPC contractor carries the whole scope under one contract.
- 06
Provisional acceptance and energisation
After construction the plant undergoes provisional acceptance (geçici kabul) by the competent authority, after which it is energised and begins delivering electricity.
The 21 distribution regions — and who to apply to
Your grid application goes to the operator of the region where the plant sits. Find your province to identify the counterparty before you commit to a site.
| Distribution company | Provinces | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Başkent EDAŞ Başkent Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 7 | Ankara, Bartın, Çankırı, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kırıkkale, Zonguldak |
| Aras EDAŞ Aras Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 7 | Ağrı, Ardahan, Bayburt, Erzincan, Erzurum, Iğdır, Kars |
| Toroslar EDAŞ Toroslar Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 6 | Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Mersin, Osmaniye |
| Meram EDAŞ (MEDAŞ) Meram Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 6 | Aksaray, Karaman, Kırşehir, Konya, Nevşehir, Niğde |
| Dicle EDAŞ (DEDAŞ) Dicle Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 6 | Batman, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Siirt, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak |
| Osmangazi EDAŞ (OEDAŞ) Osmangazi Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 5 | Afyonkarahisar, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Kütahya, Uşak |
| Yeşilırmak EDAŞ (YEDAŞ) Yeşilırmak Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 5 | Amasya, Çorum, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop |
| Çoruh EDAŞ Çoruh Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 5 | Artvin, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Rize, Trabzon |
| Uludağ EDAŞ (UEDAŞ) Uludağ Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 4 | Balıkesir, Bursa, Çanakkale, Yalova |
| Sakarya EDAŞ (SEDAŞ) Sakarya Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 4 | Bolu, Düzce, Kocaeli, Sakarya |
| Fırat EDAŞ (FEDAŞ) Fırat Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 4 | Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Tunceli |
| Vangölü EDAŞ (VEDAŞ) Vangölü Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 4 | Bitlis, Hakkari, Muş, Van |
| Akdeniz EDAŞ (AEDAŞ) Akdeniz Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 3 | Antalya, Burdur, Isparta |
| Aydem EDAŞ Aydem Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 3 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla |
| Trakya EDAŞ (TREDAŞ) Trakya Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 3 | Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ |
| Çamlıbel EDAŞ (ÇEDAŞ) Çamlıbel Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 3 | Sivas, Tokat, Yozgat |
| Gediz EDAŞ Gediz Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 2 | İzmir, Manisa |
| AKEDAŞ AKEDAŞ Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. | 2 | Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş |
| BEDAŞ Boğaziçi Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. (Avrupa Yakası) | 1 | İstanbul (Avrupa) |
| AYEDAŞ İstanbul Anadolu Yakası Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. (Anadolu Yakası) | 1 | İstanbul (Anadolu) |
| KCETAŞ Kayseri ve Civarı Elektrik Türk A.Ş. | 1 | Kayseri |
Frequently asked questions
Who do you apply to for a grid connection in Turkey?+
To the electricity distribution company (EDAŞ) responsible for the region where the plant will be located. Turkey is divided into 21 distribution regions, each operated by a different company, and the operator is determined solely by geography — you cannot choose it. For transmission-level connections the system operator TEİAŞ is involved instead.
What is a 'call letter' and why does it matter?+
The call letter for the connection agreement (bağlantı anlaşmasına çağrı mektubu) is the document issued by the network operator setting out the conditions under which the planned facility may connect. It is the point at which a project stops being speculative: without it there is no enforceable path to the grid, and most lenders and off-takers treat it as a precondition.
What usually blocks a project — irradiation or grid capacity?+
Grid capacity, in most cases. Turkey has strong irradiation almost everywhere relative to European averages, but available capacity at the nearest substation varies enormously between regions and changes as other projects connect. A site with excellent irradiation and no spare connection capacity is not a project; a moderate site next to spare capacity often is.
Can a foreign investor develop a solar plant in Turkey?+
Yes — foreign-owned companies develop and own generation assets in Turkey. In practice most international investors work through a Turkish project company and appoint a local EPC contractor to carry permitting, grid application, construction and commissioning, because the process is conducted in Turkish and with regional operators.
How long does permitting take?+
It depends on the connection level, the region and the completeness of the application, so a single figure would be misleading. The regulation governing unlicensed generation was amended more than once during 2026, and capacity constraints differ by substation. We give a project-specific timeline after the initial grid capacity check rather than a generic estimate.
We handle the process end to end
Grid capacity check, application to the regional operator, call letter, connection agreement, design approval, construction and provisional acceptance — under a single EPC contract. Send a location and target capacity and we will come back with a site-specific assessment.