Türkiye is steadily approaching its aim of producing its first electricity from nuclear power as the first reactor of its first nuclear plant is now 99% complete, a top official said on Monday while conducting inspections on-site.

"We conducted inspections at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant site, where Türkiye's 70-year nuclear dream is turning into reality," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a post on X.

"Together with Rosatom Director General Mr. Alexey Likhachev, we examined on-site the ongoing work in the control room – the brain of the first reactor, whose construction is 99% complete. We then held a comprehensive meeting to discuss progress on the project," he added.

The $20 billion Akkuyu project, situated in the Mersin province in the country's south, stands out as the cornerstone of Türkiye's strategy to diversify energy supplies and reduce import dependence. Once fully operational, the 4.8 gigawatt (GW) plant, with its four reactors, is expected to generate around 10% of Türkiye's electricity.

Bayraktar, as well as Rosatom executives, announced earlier plans for commissioning the first reactor this year.

"As Türkiye, our goal is to make zero-emission, uninterrupted, and environmentally friendly nuclear energy one of the strongest sources in our country's energy mix," Bayraktar further noted.

"Nuclear energy is not just an electricity generation tool for us; it is also the key to technological breakthroughs, economic development, and the energy century," he said.

"With this strong vision, in addition to not limiting ourselves to Akkuyu, we will incorporate new plants planned for Sinop and Thrace, as well as small modular reactors (SMRs), into our production portfolio. By 2050, we will increase our nuclear capacity to 20,000 megawatts," the minister said.