Turkey’s Nuclear Energy Ambitions: Past Efforts, Present Strategies, and Future Directions

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 14 - 29, 22.06.2025

Muhammed Cihat Mercan , Ali İhsan Aygün

https://doi.org/10.70081/duted.1641366

Abstract

Nuclear power plants, popularized by the promise of decreasing dependency on foreign resources and providing supply security, meet 10% of the world’s energy needs as of 2023. Having had this desire for a long time, Turkey wants to have a nuclear-installed power of 10,000 MW according to its energy production targets. In this context, Turkey seems close to realizing this de sire of more than half a century with its Akkuyu and Sinop Nuclear Power Plants. Yet, Turkey follows a different path compared to countries with a nuclear past and took its first concrete steps with an intergovernmental agreement signed with Russia. In this study, the main motivation pushing Turkey to this path, the country’s technical capacity, and its strategy are evaluated. Besides that, the current and possible prospective hazards are indicated. In addition, the contribution of these plants to meet the electricity demand as well as reducing dependency on external resources and the current account deficit have been examined. The study, which also includes a SWOT analysis, predicts that Turkey's intergovernmental agreement-based initiative will serve as an important reference for other future initiatives.

Keywords

Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Energy Policy, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Energy in Turkey, Sinop Nuclear Power Plant

Türkiye’nin Nükleer Enerji Hedefleri: Geçmişteki Çabalar, Bugünkü Stratejiler ve Geleceğe Yönelik Yönergeler

Abstract

Dışa bağımlılığı azaltma ve arz güvenliği sağlama vaadiyle popülerleşen nükleer enerji santralleri, 2023 yılı itibariyle dünya enerji ihtiyacının %10'unu karşılıyor. Bu arzuyu uzun süredir taşıyan Türkiye, enerji üretim hedefleri doğrultusunda 10.000 MW'lık nükleer kurulu güce sahip olmak istiyor. Bu bağlamda Türkiye, Akkuyu ve Sinop Nükleer Güç Santralleri ile yarım asrı aşan bu arzusunu gerçekleştirmeye yakın görünmektedir. Ancak nükleer geçmişi olan ülkelere kıyasla farklı bir yol izleyen Türkiye, ilk somut adımlarını Rusya ile imzaladığı hükümetler arası anlaşma ile atmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'yi bu yola iten temel motivasyon, ülkenin teknik kapasitesi ve stratejisi değerlendirilmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra, mevcut ve olası tehlikeler belirtilmiştir. Ayrıca, bu santrallerin elektrik talebinin karşılanmasının yanı sıra dış kaynaklara bağımlılığın ve cari açığın azaltılmasına katkısı da incelenmiştir. SWOT analizine de yer verilen çalışmada, Türkiye'nin hükümetler arası anlaşmaya dayalı girişiminin, gelecekte yapılacak diğer girişimler için önemli bir referans olacağı öngörülüyor.

Keywords

Akkuyu Nükleer Güç Santrali, Sinop Nükleer Güç Santrali, Elektrik Maliyeti, Enerji Politikaları, Nükleer Enerji, Türkiye’de Nükleer Enerji

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