Türkiye promoted to league of nuclear power countries with Akkuyu: Erdoğan

MERSİN

Türkiye has upgraded to the league of nuclear power countries with the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 27.

“Our country has been promoted to the league of nuclear power countries after a 60-year delay,” Erdoğan said, addressing the Akkuyu NPP First Nuclear Fuel Delivery Ceremony.

Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, addressed the ceremony via teleconference.

The NPP officially became a nuclear power facility with the delivery of the first fresh nuclear fuel on the plant site, the president said.

“With the delivery of nuclear fuels coming by air and sea to our power plant, Akkuyu has now gained the identity of a nuclear facility,” Erdoğan stated.

The power plant, built by Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom, is “the biggest joint investment” between Türkiye and Russia, the president emphasized.

In light of the experience in Akkuyu, Türkiye will act as soon as possible for the second and third nuclear power plants of the country, he stated.

The project will contribute $1.5 billion annually to the decrease in our natural gas imports, and will also have a positive impact on the increase in Türkiye’s national income, the president emphasized.

“Like many important projects, Akkuyu is implemented with a financing model that does not burden our national budget,” he said.

Putin, for his part, said Akkuyu is one of the most prominent partnerships between Türkiye and Russia in their bilateral history. The project is based on the mutual interests of the two countries and reinforces the partnership, he emphasized.

Russia is not merely building a nuclear power plant, but a new nuclear industry and economic field is being established in Türkiye thanks to Akkuyu, Putin stated.

Putin said that in a phone conversation with Erdoğan, they discussed enhancing bilateral ties in economy and trade, noting that they agreed to increase the number of flights between Türkiye and Russia over the increasing number of Russians to the country.

Moscow also aims to support Türkiye’s infrastructure constructions launched after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, the Russian leader said.

“Russia will continue to meet Türkiye’s energy needs, particularly on the issue of natural gas,” Putin said.

The NPP is being constructed by Russia’s state atomic energy company Rosatom in the province of Mersin on the southern Mediterranean coastline.

The plant, which will have four VVER-1200 power reactors upon completion, will have a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts. It will produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, about 10 percent of the country’s power consumption, when it becomes fully operational. The reactor core of a Generation III+ power unit consists of 163 fuel assemblies with uranium fuel.

An intergovernmental agreement for the Akkuyu NPP was signed between Türkiye and Russia in May 2010. The nuclear power plant’s groundbreaking ceremony was held in April 2018 after construction started for the first unit.

The NPP’s first unit is scheduled to begin operations this year when the nation will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

Putin, Erdoğan discuss bilateral relations

Erdoğan spoke over the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of the Akkuyu NPP First Nuclear Fuel Delivery Ceremony on April 27 and discussed the bilateral relations along with regional issues, the presidential communication’s directorate said.

Erdoğan thanked Putin for his contributions to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, the statement said.

The two discussed the developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and the work on the grain agreement, the statement said, adding that Erdoğan told Putin that new “initiatives could be worked on through the proposed working group,” for the issue.

The two leaders also discussed the developments in Syria.

Putin also conveyed his wishes to Erdoğan for a speedy recovery after he suffered from an upset stomach.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca made a statement regarding Erdoğan’s health status. Fahrettin Koca announced that Erdogan had a gastroenteritis infection.

“The effect of the infection, gastroenteritis has decreased. He will resume his programs as soon as possible,” Koca said.