Bayraktar says Russia has always been a reliable supplier to Türkiye

At Rosatom’s World Atomic Days in Antalya, Türkiye’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the physical startup of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant’s first power unit would take place in the coming weeks and called Russia a reliable supplier to Türkiye.

RuskiGazeta Editorial DeskNovember 13, 2026, 05:24 PMUpdated: November 13, 2026, 05:53 PM

Bayraktar says Russia has always been a reliable supplier to Türkiye

The physical startup of the first reactor at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant built by Rosatom, will take place in the coming weeks. Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar made the announcement at the opening of the business program of World Atomic Days, which Rosatom is holding in Antalya alongside COP31.

“Thanks to the leadership and commitment demonstrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, this project was completed, and our nearly 70-year dream became a reality,” the minister said. According to him, Türkiye expects to commission the first reactor and obtain the first electricity at Akkuyu.

Министр энергетики Турции Алпарслан Байрактар выступает на открытии «Мировых атомных дней» в Анталье

“Russia has always been a reliable supplier”

Bayraktar described Russian technologies as reliable and proven, and noted that cooperation with Russia includes personnel training: more than 300 graduates of Russian universities are already working at Akkuyu. He added that Ankara is negotiating with various technology suppliers on its second and third nuclear projects, but Russia has always been a reliable partner for Türkiye.

Türkiye plans to reach 10 GW of nuclear capacity by 2040 and at least 20 GW by 2050, including around 5 GW from small modular reactors. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev called Akkuyu one of the most prominent projects in the recent history of nuclear energy.

Строительная площадка АЭС «Аккую» в провинции Мерсин