Turkey to Decide Whether to Resume Negotiations with Japan for Nuclear Power Stations

Turkey has not yet decided whether to resume negotiations with Japan on importing Japanese nuclear power generation technologies, a news report has said.

A formal decision regarding the matter will be made at a meeting to be attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other senior government officials, the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Daily News reported, quoting a source from the Turkish Energy Ministry. It did not say when the meeting is to be held.

Turkey has been engaged in talks with Japan since last year to build the country’s second nuclear power plant in the Black Sea coastal province of Sinop. However, talks were interrupted in March after a massive earthquake hit Japan, which triggered a nuclear crisis at Japan’s Fukushima power plant — prompting the Japanese authorities to request some time from Turkey to deal with the consequences of its damaged nuclear plant.

The report came after Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said over the weekend that Turkish authorities had talks with a Japanese delegation that came to Turkey to discuss the issue. “We will have an assessment next week on this matter,” Yıldız said on Saturday.

Even if bilateral discussions are resumed, it is unclear whether Japan will be able to secure an order as Turkey may start negotiations with other countries such as France and Canada, Japanese officials said as reported by Mainichi Daily News.

02 August 2011
SOURCE: TODAYSZAMAN.COM