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Turkish opposition lawmaker claims Russia will net $180 billion from Akkuyu nuclear plant

An engineer looks towards a building under construction at the Russian-built Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant ahead of an opening cerenomy in Mersin Province on April 26, 2023. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will try to offset his absence from the campaign trail weeks before crucial elections by unveiling the nuclear plant by video link. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

A lawmaker from Turkey’s main opposition party has said documents show Russia will make a net profit of more than $180 billion from Turkey’s first nuclear power plant over its operating lifetime.

Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, a deputy chair of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the figures relate to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which is being built and will be operated by Russia’s state-owned nuclear company.

In a statement shared on social media, Yavuzyılmaz said the plant’s projected operating profit over 69 years is $207.399 billion. According to the documents he cited, total loan repayments including principal and interest amount to $24.229 billion, while shareholder equity contributions total $3.1 billion.

After deducting those costs, he said, Russia’s net profit from the project would reach $180.07 billion. Yavuzyılmaz added that the amount equals about 7.777 trillion Turkish lira at the current exchange rate.

“This means selling Turkey’s future,” Yavuzyılmaz said. “It means serving the interests of a foreign country rather than Turkey’s own citizens.”

The Akkuyu plant is located on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast in Mersin province and is designed to include four reactors. It is Turkey’s first nuclear power facility and a cornerstone of long-standing energy cooperation with Russia.

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