Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today launched the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean Mersin region.
"In the name of God!" Erdogan said standing next to Putin at the presidential palace in Ankara as he ordered through a video link the launch of the $20 billion dollar Akkuyu nuclear power plant project.
State television TRT showed workers already starting work on the ground as fireworks went off to mark the event.Once completed the power station will provide 10 percent of the electricity needs of Turkey, which has few energy resources of its own.
The first stage is due to come online in 2023, the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey's founding, and be completed entirely in 2026.
"This scale of the project is difficult to exaggerate," Putin said at the ceremony. "This marks a new stage in the development of Turkey's economy."
Erdogan said: "The power plant will contribute to our energy security and also play an important role in the fight against climate change."