Turkey's Nuclear Ambitions: New Partnerships on the Horizon

Turkey is making strides towards expanding its nuclear energy capabilities by entering discussions with Canada's Candu Energy and other global companies for the construction of its second and third nuclear power plants. The announcement was made by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar during a visit to southeastern Turkey.

Bayraktar emphasized the country's ambition to finalize potential partners for these nuclear projects by the end of the year. "We are negotiating with several countries including Russia, South Korea, and China," he revealed, pointing out that Canadian firm Candu is among those in talks.

The country's first nuclear plant, being built by Rosatom under a $20 billion agreement signed in 2010, is situated at Akkuyu in the Mediterranean region. Plans for future plants include locations in Sinop by the Black Sea and Thrace in the northwest region.

(With inputs from agencies.)