Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, attended groundbreaking ceremony for Unit 3 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin via videoconference. “We had the opportunity to see the results of the Turkish-Russian dialogue in the field. We are committed to advancing this cooperation in the coming period” Erdoğan said. Erdogan called the plant as “symbol of Turkish-Russian cooperation.” The joint project would significantly contribute to Turkey’s energy security and further strengthen its economy, Putin said.

The nuclear power plant is expected to provide 4,800 megawatts electric energy. The project is planned to be fully operational in 2026.