Turkey would be “very close” to concluding negotiations for the construction of a Chinese nuclear power plant at its European end. This was stated last week by the Turkish Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar.
Recently, a delegation from Chinese state-owned company SPIC toured the proposed location for the four reactors, near the borders with Bulgaria and Greece. Likewise, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, visited Turkey to close the gap. Not in vain, it would be the largest investment in China's history in a project outside its borders.
If carried out, it would be the third nuclear power plant on Turkish soil. And prospecting for a fourth is already beginning.
In April, during the election campaign, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan falsely inaugurated the first, Akkuyu, built by the Russian public company Rosatom. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accompanied him in a video conference. However, this will not enter service until next year.
A second nuclear power plant, near Sinop, on the Black Sea, has been decided, although a South Korean company and Rosatom itself are fighting for the award, after the withdrawal of a Franco-Japanese consortium.
Turkey supports its commitment to nuclear energy in its climate commitment for 2053, when it wants it to represent 29% of its energy cocktail. However, its nuclearization plans were already on the table fifteen years ago and are not unrelated to the evolution of the neighborhood.
Although only Israel has acquired a nuclear arsenal, Iran is constantly under suspicion of wanting to follow the same path.
To this day, Pakistan remains the only Muslim-majority country in possession of the atomic bomb and the dream or nightmare of an Arab bomb still seems distant. Although the sine qua non condition, having nuclear reactors, is beginning to become a reality.
Three years ago, the United Arab Emirates inaugurated nuclear energy production the same month it signed the recognition of Israel, with the Abraham Accords.
Saudi Arabia does not rule out following the same path, although, unlike the Emirates, it cannot allow it without concessions for the Palestinians.
This same week, Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, questioned in New York, stated that "if Iran gets hold of the bomb, so will we." He also noted that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel had never been so close. It is no secret that Saudi Arabia has advanced reactor construction plans. Preferably, he says, with the United States, although he does not accept the inspection conditions that Washington imposed on Abu Dhabi and meanwhile flirts with Russia and China.
In the case of Egypt, construction by Rosatom – which also works in Bangladesh – began a year ago.
In reality, tension between Riyadh and Tehran has decreased with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations sponsored by Beijing.
Although Turkey joined the new silk routes – and a year ago inaugurated a Chinese thermal power plant in Adana that covers 3% of its needs – mistrust persists due to the presence of Uyghur Islamist exiles in Istanbul.
At a time of tension between China and the US, and confrontation between Russia and NATO, Erdogan's Turkey – a member country of the Alliance – is betting on a game of balance. Although everyone knows – or fears – that projects of this nature require decades of good understanding. The Akkuyu plant will employ 4,000 workers, most of them Russian. And Turkey has sent 317 students to Russia to train in nuclear engineering. But it is China, with 56 reactors in operation and 24 under construction, that sets the pace.
