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Türkiye signed a strategic nuclear deal with the U.S. during President Erdogan's visit to the White House on September 25.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar wrote on X, ''We have started a new process that will further deepen the deep-rooted and multidimensional partnership between Türkiye and the United States in the field of nuclear energy. With the US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio, in the presence of the leaders after the meeting, we signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation.''
The agreement followed another large-scale energy deal concluded by Türkiye during the U.S. visit, under which state-run BOTAS signed contracts for a combined 75.8 billion cubic meters of LNG imports with Swiss-based Mercuria and Australia’s Woodside Energy.
Although the Energy Ministry did not provide any further details on the nature of deal signed, both countries were holding talks on the construction of large-scale nuclear power plants and small modular reactors, per Turkish officials.
Senior Energy Ministry official Yusuf Ceylan stated in a Reuters interview in 2024, ''The U.S. is showing serious interest in Türkiye's goal of increasing its nuclear energy capacity and building new power plants.''
When asked about the projects under discussion, he had said, ''We can consider the areas of existing power plants or new power plants. We are negotiating with the U.S. for both large scale power plants and small modular reactors.''
The latest understanding with the United States builds on Türkiye’s broader strategy to expand its nuclear capacity as part of efforts to diversify energy supply, reduce reliance on imported natural gas, and meet growing electricity demand.
The country’s first nuclear power project, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in southern Mersin province, is being built by Russia’s state-owned Rosatom. The $20 billion facility, consisting of four reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts, is expected to begin operations in stages, with the first unit scheduled to be operational by 2026.
In addition to Akkuyu, Türkiye has long discussed plans for two further projects: one at Sinop on the Black Sea coast, and another in the Thrace region in the northwest. The government has been in talks with several international partners, including Japan, South Korea, China, and now the United States, for investment and technology transfer.
Beyond large-scale plants, Türkiye has also expressed interest in small modular reactors (SMRs), a newer technology considered more flexible and potentially faster to deploy. Officials have said SMRs could be located closer to industrial zones or integrated with renewable energy systems to provide a stable supply.
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