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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew into Seoul this week and made it plain in an interview with Yonhap: Turkey wants South Korea as a partner for its planned second nuclear plant at Sinop. He called Korea a “great potential collaborator,” pointed to an existing MOU and feasibility work with KEPCO, and said Ankara is weighing all its options beyond Russia’s Rosatom — all while pushing a $15 billion trade target with Seoul.
What Erdogan told Seoul — blunt and on the record
In the Yonhap interview, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is “attaching considerable importance” to negotiations with Korea on reactor technology, site assessment, licensing and financing. He noted feasibility studies are already under way and reminded listeners that Ankara is “examining all possible choices in light of our national interests.” The visit included delegation talks with President Lee Jae-myung and further MOUs meant to deepen nuclear, defense and trade ties.
Why this matters: procurement, geopolitics and dollars
This is more than a trade mission or a photo op. Choosing a partner for a major nuclear plant is a strategic, long‑term decision. If Turkey moves Sinop toward a Korean design and financing model, it weakens Moscow’s exclusive hold through Rosatom and shifts procurement away from the old, cozy single-supplier deal. That matters for safety standards, financing and for which countries get leverage over Turkish energy policy. KEPCO and Korean firms would gain a massive export win if talks turn into real contracts.
Akkuyu, Rosatom and the reason Turkey is shopping
Turkey already has one big Russian project at Akkuyu, built under a Russian build‑own‑operate model that has taken years to advance. Erdogan publicly praises Akkuyu’s financing model, but he also knows a second plant built with alternate partners hedges political risk. In plain terms: you don’t put two big reactors in one basket if you want real independence. The feasibility work with Korea signals Ankara wants options — and perhaps better financing than it got before.
Trade, drones and the domestic spin — and what to watch next
Erdogan is not talking only about reactors. He’s angling for more Korean investment in Turkish logistics and defense, while trying to correct a big trade imbalance. He can sell any Korean deal at home as jobs and high‑tech transfer — and Turkey’s booming drone industry gives Ankara extra bargaining power. The real test will be whether MOUs and feasibility studies turn into binding contracts and credible financing. For now, Erdogan is shopping for partners and headlines; the markets, national security planners and Korean firms should all be watching closely as talks move from paper to purchase.
