Türkiye will not sell rare earth elements to the USA

What the statement about rare earths actually means

• Several commenters argue the article misrepresents the minister’s quote.
• The claim is that the minister was responding to rumors that rare earth elements are already being sold to the US, saying that no such sale or agreement exists.
• Interpretation in the thread: it’s about not having made a rare-earth-related agreement with the US yet, not a blanket future export ban.

Turkish domestic politics and natural resources

• Commenters familiar with Turkish politics describe recurring pre‑election “discoveries” of big resource deposits (gas, minerals) as a political tool.
• These announcements are seen as overhyped but usually based on some real deposits.
• There is skepticism that promises not to involve foreign companies or protect the environment will actually be kept, citing previous mining disasters and deforestation protests.

US–Turkey relations and alliances

• Some see Turkey’s stance as evidence that it is an unreliable ally or “playing both sides.”
• Others counter that the US has treated Turkey poorly: blocking F‑35 sales after the S‑400 deal with Russia, and not supporting Turkey in Syria.
• The US–Kurdish relationship and the absence of a Kurdish state are mentioned as part of this fraught triangle, with disagreement over whether the US ever “owned” the right to partition Iraqi territory.

Rare earth deposits vs processing

• Multiple comments stress that many countries have rare earth ores; the bottleneck is refining and processing capacity.
• China dominates processing because it has invested heavily and tolerates severe environmental damage.
• Others note that not all countries have economically viable heavy rare earth deposits; resources are not the same as reserves.
• The US has significant ore but limited refining, largely due to cost, pollution, and political resistance.

Why this matters for “hacker”/tech audiences

• Rare earths are described as critical inputs for electronics and high‑tech manufacturing; supply disruptions could severely impact the US tech industry.

Debate over the name “Türkiye” vs “Turkey”

• A long tangent debates whether English‑language media should adopt “Türkiye.”
• One side: countries have the right to define their own names; using “Türkiye” is respectful and aligns with UN usage.
• Other side: English speakers aren’t obliged to change; diacritics are hard to type; this is seen as nationalist posturing driven by the current Turkish leadership.
• Comparisons are made to Germany/Deutschland, Belarus/White Russia, India/Bharat, etc., with no consensus reached.