Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday gave the Russian giant Rosatom the green light to begin construction of the first nuclear power plant in Turkey, a symbol of the flourishing relationship between Ankara and Moscow.
– May God be with you!, Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara that was broadcast via video link to the construction site of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Mersin province, where workers immediately began pouring concrete.
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– We are truly witnessing a historic moment for our development and energy cooperation with Russia, the Turkish head of state said just earlier.
– It is difficult to emphasize the significance of such an innovative project enough, Putin said.
The construction of the plant, estimated at $20 billion, is part of a development project aimed at making Turkey one of the 10 richest countries in the world by 2023, the centenary of the Turkish republic. According to Erdogan, the four reactors of the plant will meet 10 percent of Turkey’s electricity demand. The first reactor of the plant is expected to be operational in 2023, according to Putin and Erdogan.
