Erdogan Thanks Putin for Assistance in Building Turkey's First Nuclear Power Plant

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, expressed gratitude to Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, during a phone call for Moscow's assistance in constructing Turkey's first nuclear power plant. The Russian state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, has built the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, and the ceremony for the first nuclear fuel loading at the first unit of this plant took place on Thursday. The 4,800-megawatt project, which includes the construction of four reactors valued at $20 billion, allows Turkey to join a small group of countries with civilian nuclear energy capabilities. Turkey hopes this plant, which Vladimir Putin has described as 'the largest nuclear power generation site on Earth,' will reduce the country's dependence on imported hydrocarbons for energy. According to Reuters, Vladimir Putin stated after the phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan that they agreed to deepen economic, commercial, and agricultural cooperation between the two countries. The presidents also discussed grain and food exports from Ukrainian ports, known as the 'Black Sea Grain Initiative.' Reuters reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated in the ceremony via phone due to a health issue that forced him to cancel his campaign rallies this week. Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said his condition has improved. The presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey are scheduled for May 14 of this year. Latest news includes the arrest of 125 political activists and journalists in Turkey; report by Lily Nikfar. Turkey: Moscow meeting discussions with Iran, Syria, and Russia were 'constructive.' Turkish police arrested 110 individuals on charges of links to the 'PKK.' Russia has once again threatened to cancel the grain export agreement with Ukraine. The G7 has called for an extension of the grain export agreement from Ukraine.