Azernews.Az

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."