Akkuyu nuclear plant construction site holds Open Doors Day
MERSİN
The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, whose construction was launched in April in a groundbreaking ceremony, opened its doors on Oct. 6 for the first time.
A total of 312 people toured the plant site on buses and were given information about the construction works by Turkish engineers, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
Among the visitors were also many officials from the administration of the Gülnar district of the Mediterranean coastal province of Mersin, where the plant is located.
Gülnar District Governor Mehmet Erhan Türkler and Gülnar Mayor Ahmet Günel have personally received information from Akkuyu CEO Yuriy Galanchuk.
“We will continue to hold these [Open Doors Days] in the future. We are thinking of holding them every six months. We will make an effort to be in a more frequent and more genuine dialogue with people,” Galanchuk told reporters during the event.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin launched the construction of the Akkuyu plant at a ceremony in Ankara in early April.
“Currently, 31 countries produce a significant amount of electricity from 450 nuclear power plants. Also, in 16 countries, 55 nuclear power plants are under construction. And today, we can say that the Akkuyu power station, the foundation of which we are laying today, is the 56th,” Erdoğan said.
“In 2023, we will put the first unit into operation and Turkey will thereby join those countries that use nuclear energy … On the anniversary of our republic, we will crown this work with success,” he said.
