Turkish president announces first electricity from Akkuyu Nuclear Plant by end of year

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday a major
step forward in the country’s energy sector and its first nuclear
power plant, Azernews reports, citing Yeni
Safak.

“By the end of this year, we will begin trial production and
deliver the first electricity from Akkuyu (Nuclear Power Plant),”
Erdogan said at a natural resources summit in Istanbul.

The president emphasized Türkiye’s role in addressing global
energy security, particularly in light of Europe’s ongoing energy
challenges.

“We have undertaken numerous initiatives to contribute to
regional energy security in order to help ease the energy crisis
faced by European countries,” Erdogan said.

“Türkiye’s emergence as a safe haven during Europe’s energy
crises is by no means a coincidence,” he added.

The president also signaled the final stages of the ambitious
project, which began in 2017: “The construction of the first
reactor of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is nearing
completion.”

In addition to nuclear advances, Erdogan also touched on the
country’s resource efforts abroad. “We aim to begin the first
production this year at one of the gold fields in Niger for which
we obtained a license,” he said.

Further underlining the nation’s energy achievements, Erdogan
also noted: “With the operations in Gabar (in southeastern
Türkiye), our daily oil production across Türkiye surpassed 135,000
barrels as of the end of March 2025, setting a record.”