US and NATO Disappointed by Turkey’d Decision: What’s going on?

Turkey is making significant strides in its nuclear energy ambitions, with substantial involvement from Russia and China. The Turkish government, through its Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, has confirmed ongoing negotiations with Russia’s state-owned Rosatom for constructing a second nuclear power plant in Sinop, located on the Black Sea coast. This follows the successful collaboration on the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is expected to have all four reactors operational by 2028, providing about 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs. In addition to discussions with Russia, Turkey is also in advanced talks with China for a third nuclear power plant in the Thrace region. These negotiations are critical as Turkey aims to diversify its energy mix and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The country has set a target of reaching 20 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050, including plans for adding 5 GW from small modular reactors. NATO has expressed concerns regarding Turkey’s collaboration with Russia on nuclear power projects, specifically the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. This partnership is seen as potentially increasing Moscow’s influence within a NATO member state, raising security and strategic stability concerns for the alliance. The construction and future operation of the Akkuyu plant by Rosatom could give Russia significant leverage over Turkey’s energy sector and, by extension, its political decisions. This is not the first confrontation of Turkey and NATO. Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system has been a major point of contention. The United States and other NATO allies argue that the S-400 is incompatible with NATO systems and poses a security threat, particularly to the F-35 fighter jet program. As a result, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey and removed it from the F-35 program.