Efforts to Control the Atom and the Transfer of Nuclear Technology: An Evaluation from Turkey’s Perspective

Intent on overcoming its dependency on imported energy, Turkey has been pursuing nuclear reactors for decades. Initially lured by the promise nuclear power as a panacea for its chronic energy problems, Ankara began to put in place the necessary legislative infrastructure to accommodate the sale of nuclear power reactors in the late 1950s. In tandem, successive governments have solicited bids for the construction of reactors on the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts. Ankara’s prolonged interest in developing a nuclear energy program has drawn the interest of numerous foreign suppliers, but progress to date has been slowed by a combination of internal problems and disagreements about financing.