Turkey to go nuclear

TURKEY and Russia have marked the official start of work to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

The $A26 billion Akkuyu power station in the southern province of Mersin is expected to start operating in 2023.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan marked the official start to construction of Akkuyu’s first unit, watching by videolink from the Turkish capital Ankara.

“When all four units go online, the plant will meet 10 per cent of Turkey’s energy needs,” Mr Erdogan said.