Iran’s vice president and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, expressed the country’s readiness to share its nuclear expertise with Turkey during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Iran Hicabi Kırlangıç on Monday, Iranian media reported.
Eslami offered to provide nuclear training and share the knowledge of AEOI subsidiary companies in constructing and maintaining nuclear power plants. He also expressed Iran’s readiness to export radiopharmaceuticals to Turkey.
In April Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a video linkup with Russian President Vladimir Putin, unveiled a nuclear power plant that Russia began building during a chill in Ankara’s relations with its Western allies in 2018.
Construction of the plant was complicated by sanctions the West imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Iran’s vice president praised Turkey’s decision to join the ranks of countries with nuclear power plants and said he was pleased at the prospect of cooperation between the two neighboring nations. The offer comes at a time when discussions are underway to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the US withdrew in 2018, leading to Iran scaling back some of its nuclear commitments.
Earlier this month Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar revealed plans for energy projects valued at $200 billion, aiming to achieve energy independence and expand the nation’s energy capacity. The projects include the construction of two conventional nuclear power plants, small modular reactors and substantial growth in solar and wind power capacity.