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Turkish and Canadian officials held talks aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy and mining, with both sides exploring joint investments and concrete steps in nuclear power development, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Tuesday.
In a written statement following a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Ankara, Bayraktar said the discussions focused on expanding bilateral ties across multiple energy sectors, including nuclear, oil and natural gas, and critical minerals.
"During our meeting, we comprehensively discussed strategic steps to further strengthen the long-standing ties between our countries in the energy sector, as well as mutual investment opportunities," Bayraktar remarked.
The minister emphasized that nuclear energy was a central topic, stressing Türkiye’s intention to move quickly toward tangible cooperation. "We expressed our determination to take concrete steps toward cooperation in the nuclear energy sector as soon as possible,” he added.
The talks come as Türkiye continues to expand its nuclear energy program. The country plans to build two additional nuclear power plants following the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, where the first reactor is expected to come online this year.
For the planned Sinop facility on the Black Sea coast, Ankara is seeking a binding proposal from South Korea and Korea Electric Power Corporation that could open formal negotiations, Bayraktar said last week, adding that authorities aim to decide on the project within the year once the proposal’s framework is clarified.
A separate project in Thrace has drawn interest from a Canadian nuclear company, with earlier discussions involving CANDU technology, the minister said in mid-2025.
Türkiye has set a long-term target of reaching 20 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear installed capacity by 2050. Of this, 7.2 GW is expected to come from large-scale projects, including four reactors in Akkuyu, Sinop, and Thrace, while the remaining capacity is planned to be supplied through small modular reactors (SMRs).
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