Fatih Donmez, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey: 

Mr. President, Mr. President of Russia, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Welcome to the ceremony for the delivery of the first nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu NPP.

Where we are now, we can see how this project has evolved, thanks to our President. In 2010, we signed the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Agreement. The construction of the four reactors is ongoing. And now we are taking another important step – for the first time, the first nuclear fuel has been received at the NPP.

Nuclear power is coming very soon to Turkiye. We hope to start producing electricity in the coming year. We are adding another form of energy to the energy mix in our country.

Mr. President, Mr. President of Russia, ladies and gentlemen,

The Akkuyu NPP is the largest investment in Turkiye’s history that is still underway. Four reactors will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 80 years. Approximately 10 percent of our demand will be met by nuclear power. It will produce 35 billion kilowatt hours. This facility will work for Turkiye for many years to come; Akkuyu is the next generation for energy sources in Turkiye.

The largest nuclear power plant in Turkiye is under construction here, and approximately 30,000 people are participating in this project. In addition to construction; the project also includes the electronics, mechanical engineering, and equipment production sectors, which are all contributing to this project. This nuclear power plant will be the leader of the next generation of energy production.

Mr President, Mr President of Russia,

For Turkiye, Akkuyu means more than just a nuclear power plant. This is the beginning, the starting point of nuclear energy development and production in Turkiye. Our students are studying in Russia; 500 students have been sent abroad to acquire knowledge and to come back to work here. We will do very quickly what it takes to fully and completely implement the generation of nuclear energy.

Before I conclude, I want to express my gratitude to our President, I want to express my gratitude to President Putin of Russia for his help, for his support. I would also like to thank Mr Likhachev, the Director General of Rosatom, and Mr Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, who is here, as well as all those who have worked and are working at this facility, who work long hard hours – I want to thank you for that.

Once again, I would like to thank the people of Mersin, especially those who live here, close to the power plant. They have been very welcoming to all the people who have come here.

I would like to wish success and good luck to all our people and to our country.