Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 27, Türkiye Nükleer Enerji AŞ (TUNAS) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy cooperation during a state visit to Ankara by South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung on 24 November 2025. The agreement was concluded in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Lee.

The MoU focuses on sharing technical expertise, project experience, and know-how, while exploring opportunities for joint initiatives in nuclear power development. Areas of collaboration include project planning, site evaluation, financing arrangements, and workforce training.

Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated: “With this agreement, we aim to carry out joint work in many areas ranging from the development of nuclear power plant projects, technology and know-how sharing, site evaluation, project financing and human resources development. I hope this agreement, which will crown our long-standing friendship with a strategic partnership in nuclear energy, will be beneficial for our countries.”

TUNAS CEO Necati Yamaç and KEPCO CEO Dong-Cheol Kim signed the document. TUNAS emphasised that the partnership will strengthen bilateral ties and contribute to Turkey’s energy supply security.

Minister Bayraktar added on 25 November that Turkey targets commissioning 12 large-scale nuclear reactors by 2050 to support energy independence and carbon neutrality goals. The MoU with KEPCO provides a framework for strategic cooperation toward achieving these objectives.

Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, the 4,800 MWe Akkuyu facility in Mersin province, is under construction by Russia’s Rosatom using four VVER-1200 units on a build-own-operate basis. All four reactors are scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, covering approximately 10 percent of national electricity demand.

The country is also advancing plans for additional large reactors, including potential projects at Sinop and in the Thrace region, as well as a small modular reactor programme targeting 5 GWe of capacity by 2050. The new agreement with KEPCO supports broader efforts to diversify partnerships and accelerate nuclear capacity expansion.