Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Friday expressed hope that the discussion of the Syrian settlement will bring "some relief" to the region.
"We plan to especially discuss the situation in Syria. I hope that this will allow us to bring some relief to the region," the Turkish president said.
Erdogan also said he intends to discuss with Putin the project to build the country's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu. "The Akkuyu issue, which you and I will be able to bring to a certain point today after a certain assessment and make a decision on it, will not create delays in the implementation of the project. Completing the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant on schedule and on schedule is very important given that it will cover 20% of Turkey's electricity needs. I hope the comprehensive assessment in this matter will be useful," Erdogan said.
On August 2 the Turkish energy ministry issued a statement expressing hope that the disagreements between the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant builder and the Turkish general contractor will not affect the implementation of the most important energy project for the country. The ministry expects that the first reactor of the nuclear power plant will be put into operation in 2023.
According to Turkish media reports, Akkuyu Nukleer has cancelled the contract with the general contractor for the construction of the nuclear power plant, the local company Titan 2-IC Ictas. The Turkish firm said it intended to challenge the Russian company's decision in court.
Akkuyu Nukleer CEO Anastasia Zoteeva earlier said that the construction of the first unit of Akkuyu NPP will be completed in 2023 despite the change of the general contractor.
About the project
Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant being constructed in Turkey. The project is implemented on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia and Turkey in 2010. It is fully financed by the Russian side. ROSATOM is the majority shareholder of Akkuyu Nukleer, which has assumed the obligations to design, build, maintain, operate and decommission the plant.
The project involves the construction of four power units with Russian-designed VVER generation 3+ reactors. The capacity of each power unit will be 1,200 MW. After commissioning and reaching full capacity, Akkuyu NPP will generate about 35 billion kWh per year.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Based on materials TASS