Turkey's Erdogan proposes South Korean partnership in nuclear power, AI, defense

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed a potential partnership between South Korea and Turkey in various sectors, including nuclear power, artificial intelligence, and defense. This proposal was revealed in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. Turkey is currently in the process of developing a nuclear power station in Sinop, located in the Black Sea region, and Erdogan mentioned that they are studying the technical and economic terms of this project with Korea Electric Power Corp. The Turkish leader emphasized that before deciding on a partner, Ankara would carefully consider financing options, electricity costs, and the potential benefits to the Turkish economy.

Erdogan is scheduled to visit Seoul for a three-day state visit, marking his first trip to South Korea since 2018. During his stay, he will participate in a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday. In addition to discussing nuclear power and AI, Erdogan identified defense, semiconductors, and robotics as other potential areas for cooperation. He also called for increased South Korean investment and joint production initiatives in Turkey.

Erdogan expressed optimism about achieving a $15 billion bilateral trade target between the two nations. However, he stressed the importance of addressing the current imbalance in South Korea's favor. Furthermore, Erdogan extended an invitation to South Korean companies to participate in Turkish transport and logistics projects that aim to create connections between Asia and Europe.