Putin, Erdogan launch Turkey's first nuclear power plant
April 3, 2018
The start of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant is another sign of cozy relations between Turkey and Russia. Turkish, Russia and Iranian leaders are to hold a summit on Syria.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday took part in a symbolic ceremony marking the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant.
The two leaders watched cement pouring at the $20 billion (€16.3 billion) Akkuyu nuclear power plant through a video link from Erdogan's sprawling 1,100 room presidential palace in Ankara.
The joint venture already broke ground once in 2015 before being put on hold after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane along the Syrian border, causing relations between Moscow and Ankara to nosedive.
A U-turn in relations has witnessed the two countries closely cooperate on Syria and expand economic ties.
Putin and Erdogan met eight times last year and spoke often, signaling the two leaders have been able to compartmentalize their differences at a time when both countries face deteriorating relations with the West.
Energy dependency on Russia
Located in the southern province of Mersin, Akkuyu is expected to meet 10 percent of Turkey's energy needs by the time all four reactors go online in 2025. The first reactor is expected to be operational in 2023 to mark the centennial of the Turkish Republic.
Russia's Rosatom holds a 51 percent share in the project and is seeking to sell 49 percent. So far it hasn't found a buyer after Turkish companies backed out in February. Critics argue the project is not financially viable and electricity prices are too high.
Turkey already gets more than percent of its natural gas from Russia. The two countries are also building the $12 billion TurkStream pipeline to deliver gas to Turkey and southern Europe, bypassing Ukraine.
The Akkuyu project has come under criticism for increasing Turkey's energy reliance on Russia. It has also run up against environmental concerns, not least because the nuclear power plant is being built in an earthquake prone area.
Russia and Turkey are also in talks for Ankara to procure the S-400 missile system. The potential purchase has come under criticism from the US and NATO because it is not compatible with alliance systems.
Putin is in Turkey as part of a series of high level meetings. On Wednesday, the two leaders will be joined by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss strategy in Syria.
Turkey has been one of the main Syrian rebel backers, while Iran and Russia have supported the regime in Damascus.
However, the three countries launched a serious of talks dubbed the Astana peace process early last year to try to reach a political solution to Syria's seven year civil war.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
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Wednesday's talks are expected to focus on humanitarian aid access and establishing "deconfliction” zones. The sides are also likely to discuss carving out zones of influence in the wake of Turkish military incursions in northern Syria.
The summit comes relations between Turkey and the United States are strained over US support for Syrian Kurdish forces.
