Turkey’s Russian-built nuclear plant could amplify Moscow’s regional influence
Some experts are warning that Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, which is being built by Russia's Rosatom, might become a tool to advance Russian interests in the region.
A potential security threat has emerged for NATO and Europe at large: the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear plant. Experts say the project by Russia and Turkey could allow Moscow to establish a commercial port in Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Mersin.
The plant, which will be built and financed by a subsidiary of Russia’s nuclear energy firm Rosatom, is set to have its first reactor operational by May 2023 under the Turkish-Russian agreement signed in July 2022 between Rosatom subsidiary Akkuyu Nukleer and the Turkish firm TSM Enerji, which is owned by three Russia-based companies.
