Russia's Putin may visit Türkiye for '1st step' on nuclear power plant, says Turkish president

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin might visit Türkiye to officially grant Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant nuclear facility status on April 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

"Putin may be present on April 27, or we will connect online together, and hopefully, we will take the first step," Erdogan said in an interview broadcast live on Turkish broadcasters A Haber and ATV.

Erdogan said the Akkuyu plant was one of Türkiye's "indispensable investments," adding that the facility would help the country "seriously store energy."

Akkuyu, currently under construction in Türkiye's southern Mersin province, will be the country's first nuclear power plant.

Akkuyu's first reactor is set to be operational in 2023, with the entire plant to be up and running by 2025. The project began with a 2010 intergovernmental agreement between Türkiye and Russia.

The plant, expected to have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and four reactors, is set to begin producing power later this year.