Turkey plans to launch first Akkuyu nuclear reactor in coming months

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, announced that Turkey aims to commission the first reactor of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant within the coming months. Speaking during a presentation by the International Energy Agency (IEA) regarding Turkey's energy policy, the minister stated that the facility is currently undergoing an intensive series of hundreds of mandatory safety and operational tests to ensure readiness.

The project development remains a central topic of cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, following recent discussions between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both nations are coordinating efforts through specialized working groups to meet the established timeline for the plant's operational startup.

Beyond the Akkuyu project, the Turkish government is in the process of revising its National Energy Plan. Minister Bayraktar noted that this initiative, titled the 'Energy Architecture of Turkey for 2040,' is being developed to be presented prior to the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP31. This strategy aims to restructure the country's energy landscape as part of a broader, long-term national policy overhaul.