Türkiye on Sunday launched a national call to develop indigenous nuclear reactors, in what Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır called a new step in the country's energy strategy.

Kacır said the initiative, titled "Domestic Nuclear Reactor Development Call," aims to strengthen Türkiye's energy security, reduce dependence on foreign sources and support the country's net-zero emissions target.

The call comes as Türkiye is just months away from launching the initial reactor of its first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, under construction in the Mediterranean region.

The $20 billion, 4.8 gigawatt (GW) four-reactor Akkuyu plant will bring Türkiye into the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy. The plant is being built by the Russian conglomerate Rosatom.

That is the third largest nuclear pipeline globally, according to Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Once fully operational, it is expected to generate around 10% of Türkiye's electricity.

The call is part of Türkiye's National Technology Initiative, which seeks to meet the country's growing energy demands, from artificial intelligence and defense to chemistry to metallurgy, with local, carbon-free and uninterrupted sources.

"Türkiye is charting its own course in nuclear energy technologies, reinforcing its independence and national strength," Kacır wrote on social media platform NSosyal.

With the call, the minister said, "we aim to bring advanced nuclear reactors to our country through the production capabilities of Turkish industry, supported by TENMAK, TÜBITAK institutes, and our universities."

Applications for the program will be accepted until Dec. 31.

Officials say Türkiye still needs at least eight additional reactors, as well as 5 GW of small modular reactors (SMRs) to enhance energy security and ensure an affordable electricity supply.

The first unit of the Akkuyu facility is due online soon, with a nameplate capacity of around 1,200 MW. The three remaining 1,200 MW units are due to be added one per year in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Türkiye is planning to build two more plants in the northwestern region of Thrace and in the Black Sea region of Sinop. It aims to reach 7.2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035 and 20 GW by 2050.