Turkey intends to submit a bill establishing the regulatory framework for small nuclear reactors (SMRs) to parliament during the current legislative session, most likely after the budget is approved, according to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar during a TEKNOFEST event in southeastern Turkey.
Bayraktar said the draft law has already been prepared and aims to regulate matters related to the development and financing of small reactors and nuclear safety procedures. He explained that Turkey does not want to miss what he described as the “small nuclear reactor revolution,” but instead wants to become capable of possessing, producing, and eventually exporting this technology.
A Target of Up to 20,000 Megawatts
The minister links this path to a Turkish target of up to 20,000 megawatts from small reactors, emphasizing that they should be built using local technology and personnel. The announcement did not provide a detailed timetable for achieving this target, nor did it specify the types of reactors or the companies that would undertake development and implementation.
Bayraktar noted that the expansion of SMRs does not depend on the law alone, as it also requires regulatory and licensing work and cooperation with international regulatory bodies. According to the minister, Turkey’s nuclear regulatory authority is working on its own files in parallel with international cooperation in the areas of oversight and safety.
Personnel and Safety at the Forefront of the Plan
Turkey is seeking to build a human-resource base for this sector by sending students to Russia, China, and the United States, in addition to a scholarship program implemented by the Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mining Research Institute (TENMAK). The program includes appointing mentors to support students academically and professionally.
Bayraktar said that the nuclear energy competitions at TEKNOFEST attracted 192 teams this year across multiple categories, with the number of teams increasing from one year to the next. At the same time, however, he stressed that nuclear safety is the most important element in Turkey’s path toward acquiring and operating nuclear plants and technologies.
What Is Changing in Practice?
If parliament approves the law, Turkey’s SMR sector will receive a legal foundation specifically addressing development, financing, and safety, rather than leaving these matters within general frameworks. However, the announcement does not yet establish that new commercial projects have begun implementation; the announced step remains at the legislation-preparation stage, and licensing, financing, and selected-technology details will still require monitoring.
In a parallel development, the minister said that the Çekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (ÇNAEM), near Lake Küçükçekmece in Istanbul, will resume operations after a suspension lasting nearly 20 years. The center is expected to support materials research, nuclear medicine, isotope production, and agricultural applications, which could help reduce external dependence in these fields.
Vision for 2040 and the Start of Akkuyu Production
Bayraktar announced that Turkey is preparing an energy vision through 2040, which he expects to announce in the following weeks. The government is setting the goal of energy independence for the country, while considering nuclear energy an essential part of its plan to provide electricity in the age of artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
He also said that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will begin generating electricity within a few months, without specifying an exact date in the reported statements. This means that Turkey’s plans combine the operation of an existing nuclear project with an attempt to build a long-term framework for small reactors and nuclear research; the extent to which the announced goals become exportable domestic capacity will depend on the passage of the law, the maturity of the safety and financing system, and the availability of specialized expertise.