Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant, built by Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, is a strategic infrastructure project that strengthens the country’s energy security, economic resilience and diplomatic leverage, a political science expert said.
Ismail Cingöz said the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant should be evaluated beyond short-term political debates and narrow financial calculations.
“Having a nuclear power plant does not simply mean producing electricity,” Cingöz said. “It creates strategic capacity that gives countries diplomatic weight in the international system.”
He said nuclear energy has moved to the center of global energy policy as countries seek to ensure energy security, stabilize prices and reduce carbon emissions.
“Major economies such as the United States, France, China and South Korea have returned nuclear power to the core of their energy strategies,” Cingöz said, adding that Akkuyu shows Türkiye has aligned with this global trend.
Cingöz said one of Akkuyu’s key contributions will be uninterrupted baseload power. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to supply about 10% of Türkiye’s electricity demand, replacing 35 billion to 40 billion kilowatt-hours of energy currently generated from imported natural gas and coal each year.
“This is not a temporary saving but a structural shift in Türkiye’s energy trade balance,” he said.
Addressing criticism of the project’s power purchase guarantees, Cingöz said such mechanisms are standard in nuclear financing worldwide and are limited in scope and duration.
“Nuclear projects cannot be assessed with simple profit calculations,” he said. “Their value lies in import substitution, price stability, supply security and long-term strategic benefits.”
Cingöz also said Akkuyu is among the largest single foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Türkiye, financed under a build-own-operate model without burdening the public budget.
Built under International Atomic Energy Agency standards, the plant will operate within one of the world’s strictest nuclear safety frameworks, he added.
“Nuclear power strengthens a country’s diplomatic position by demonstrating long-term planning and institutional capacity,” Cingöz said. “Akkuyu is more than an energy project.”
