Officials said the Turkish students would eventually be employed as
engineers and technicians at the planned nuclear reactor at Akuyu along the
Black Sea. They said the Turks would work with Russian staffers at Akuyu,
expected to be a 1,200 megawatt energy facility.
"Rumors that [only] Russians will work at the Akuyu nuclear plant have
thus been proven untrue," Yildiz said on June 16. "We will learn to do
this."
Under the agreement, the Turks would receive scholarships to study for
at least one year at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. The first
batch of 50 students was scheduled to leave for Moscow in September.
Officials said the Turkish cadets must commit to working at Akuyu for at
least 13 years. They said the cadets would receive the same salaries as that
of their Russian colleagues.
Turkey plans to establish another nuclear energy reactor in Sinop. So
far, Ankara has held talks with Japan and South Korea, the latter of which
was already nixed as a potential contractor.
"We have received no word from the Japanese," Yildiz said.