Türkiye-Russia cooperate to balance energy in the region

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a one-day working visit to Sochi to discuss current regional and global issues, as well as bilateral relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

“The message to be given at the news conference after our meeting will be a very important step toward the world, especially to the underdeveloped African countries,” Erdogan said during the bilateral meeting with Putin.

On bilateral trade, Erdogan said the trade volume between Türkiye and Russia is $62 billion. "We are very glad that we are taking steps toward the target of reaching $100 billion," he added.

Turkish Central Bank Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan also accompanied him during his visit. "I believe that the meeting of our Central Bank governors is important in taking steps to use the domestic currency in bilateral relations," he added.

Hailing developments between Türkiye and Russia in tourism, Erdogan said: "Russia is number one in tourism right now." The defence industry and the energy sector are the other important areas in bilateral ties, he added.

On his side, Putin has said that Russia and Türkiye have “maintained” the pace in the development of bilateral relations.

“The pace of development of relations between Russia and Türkiye, gained with your (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) direct participation, is being maintained,” Putin said on Monday as he met with his Turkish counterpart in the coastal city of Sochi.

Putin said trade turnover between Türkiye and Russia increased by 86 percent last year, and the trend continued in the first of 2023.

He added that he hopes to complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Türkiye “soon.”

“We have made progress, and I hope we will soon complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Türkiye to make the energy situation in the region more stable and balanced,” Putin said.

Akkuyu nuclear power plant

The Russian leader said Türkiye has become a member of the “international club of nuclear states” after the delivery of nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant on April 27.

“Next year, if everything goes according to plan, we will launch the first unit. There are interesting possible options for continuing our cooperation here,” he added.

About Türkiye's first nuclear power plant Akkuyu, Erdogan said the work at the power plant is continuing smoothly.

"The step taken regarding the first unit is very good. Moreover, as we have discussed with you before, I think that we will have to take a step regarding the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant. Of course, the fact that there will be a hub in Thrace is another element of richness and vitality," he added.

Akkuyu, currently under construction in Türkiye's southern Mersin province, will be the country's first nuclear power plant.

An intergovernmental agreement for the plant was signed between Türkiye and Russia in May 2010. The plant's groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 3, 2018, after which construction started on the first unit.

Construction of the second unit began on April 8, 2020, and the first batch of concrete for the third unit was poured on March 10, 2021.

The site, which is considered one of the largest NPP construction sites in the world, entered its peak construction phase when the foundation was laid for the fourth and last unit on July 21 last year.

Approximately 30,000 people were employed on the site during the most active project phase.