Ankara, Turkey – Turkey is on the verge of finalizing its second agreement with China to construct a nuclear power plant in eastern Thrace, a region near the border with Greece.
The Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, recently revealed that a Chinese delegation, led by the deputy director of the National Energy Administration, inspected a proposed site for four nuclear reactors. This site is located in Kirklareli, a northwestern Turkish city bordering Greece and Bulgaria. Negotiations between Turkey and China regarding this nuclear project have been ongoing for several years, and the agreement is now nearing completion.
Bayraktar mentioned that the two countries are close to reaching a resolution on the nuclear power program. Additionally, Turkey is in talks with Russia and South Korea for another set of four nuclear reactor power plants in Sinop, a northern city on the Black Sea. China’s involvement in Turkey’s nuclear power sector is substantial, with discussions spanning nearly a decade for the construction of a four-reactor power plant at a third site in Turkey’s northwest. If finalized, this project would become China’s largest foreign investment.
Turkey’s long-term energy plans prioritize generating over twenty gigawatts of nuclear power to achieve carbon neutrality by 2053. Earlier this year, Turkey inaugurated its first nuclear plant in Akkuyu, located on the Mediterranean coast. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, presided over a virtual ceremony to commemorate the event.
The ceremony, known as the Akkuyu NPP First Nuclear Fuel Delivery Ceremony, marked the official transformation of the plant into a nuclear power facility with the arrival of the first batch of fresh nuclear fuel. Constructed by Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, this plant represents the largest joint investment between Turkey and Russia. However, concerns and suspicions have arisen regarding Turkey’s nuclear ambitions. While Turkish officials have emphasized the plant’s role in energy diversification, questions have lingered about potential uranium enrichment plans. Enhanced military cooperation agreements between Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan have fueled speculations. Some have raised the possibility of Ankara pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program. In addition to Pakistan, Turkey has signed military cooperation agreements with Kazakhstan, a significant uranium supplier.
These developments have raised alarm in Greece, prompting the country to call on Turkey to engage in discussions with neighboring nations regarding its nuclear plans. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias stressed the importance of cooperation and transparency, emphasizing the need for Turkey to participate in dialogues with its neighbors regarding the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project.
