The U.S. and Turkey signed an agreement facilitating cooperation on civilian nuclear energy during the Turkish President Erdoğan’s Thursday visit to the White House. “We have started a new process that will further deepen the deep-rooted and multidimensional partnership between Türkiye and the United States in the field of nuclear energy,” said Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar in a post on X.
The details of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation have not been publicized, but the deal will presumably lead to American involvement in the construction of nuclear power plants on Turkish soil. The government of Turkey has repeatedly expressed interest in constructing more nuclear power plants as part of its energy strategy. One plant in southern Turkey is already being built by Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom.
The agreement is one of a tranche signed during Erdoğan’s American visit, including a $43 billion deal for importing American natural gas and a multibillion dollar order for hundreds of passenger jets from Boeing.
The visit marks an important milestone in U.S.–Turkey relations, which have been strained at times. The country is also an important member of NATO and maintains the largest army in the region.
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