Turkey and South Korea moved a step closer to a nuclear energy partnership on Monday, signing a memorandum of understanding in Ankara during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit. The agreement paves the way for deeper talks on building a new nuclear power plant on Turkey’s Black Sea coast and broadening strategic ties between the two US allies.
At a joint press appearance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said negotiations are ongoing with Seoul over the construction of a nuclear facility in the northern province of Sinop, which is slated to be Turkey’s second nuclear power project after the Russian-built Akkuyu plant. Turkish officials have long argued that nuclear power is essential to meeting the country’s growing energy needs and reducing dependence on imported natural gas.
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Lee said the two governments also reaffirmed their strategic partnership and explored cooperation in the defense industry, part of a wider effort to align their security and technology interests. The two countries already share a historical bond dating back to the Korean War, when Turkish troops fought under the UN flag on the Korean Peninsula.
“Turkey, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has become a strong base for Korean companies seeking access to the European market,” Lee said, adding that South Korea is determined to deepen joint strategic ventures with Turkey in fields such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and advanced science and technology.
The new nuclear push comes as South Korea promotes its reactor technology abroad and Turkey seeks multiple partners to diversify both its energy mix and its foreign partnerships, tying together economic ambition, security cooperation, and high-tech collaboration.