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Turkish Nuclear Plant Might be Russian-built

Russia has offered to construct a nuclear power station for Turkey during a meeting of the Russian-Turkish energy working group last week in Moscow. The Russian state owned company Atomstroiexport says that no concrete agreements have been reached. Turkey and Russia have often been at odds in the past over rights to access to the Black Sea, but a thaw in relations coupled with Russian ambitions had led to past barriers being broken down in favor of energy cooperation.

According to Atomstroiexport, which runs all of Russia?s foreign power station projects, Turkish representatives told their Russian counterparts they could ?invest in Turkish energy under Turkish legislation.? Turkey is seeking to reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources, particularly on natural gas from Iran and Russia.

Atomstroiexport is involved in construction projects in China, India and Iran and is bidding to build a nuclear power station in Bulgaria. Russia is no stranger to offering other nations nuclear power in exchange for money or influence, Russia as mentioned above is cooperating heavily with Iran on nuclear development, much to the ire of the West.