02.11.2026 11:02
President Erdoğan made statements regarding the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant Project ahead of his Seoul visit, which he carried out at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Noting that important work had been done with South Korea within the scope of the preliminary feasibility study, Erdoğan listed the 3 critical elements that will be decisive in the final decision.
President Erdoğan evaluated Türkiye-South Korea relations in an interview with Yonhap before his Seoul visit, made in response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's invitation. Emphasizing that the friendship between Türkiye and South Korea is based on solid historical foundations, Erdoğan underlined that this friendship sprouted during the difficult days of the Korean War and has lost none of its value despite the decades that have passed.
Erdoğan noted that relations have been based on brotherhood and mutual trust since those days and that carrying this legacy strongly to future generations is a duty, and said: "During our Seoul visit, our priority is to strengthen political dialogue between the two countries and give momentum to our economic relations. We see important opportunities in defense industry, nuclear energy, high technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy. We want to turn these opportunities into concrete projects, open the way for our companies and increase mutual investments. We have a bilateral trade volume target of 15 billion dollars. While reaching this target, we attach importance to giving our trade a more balanced structure, increasing investments and working more closely in the field of production."
Erdoğan expressed his belief that this visit will be instrumental in concrete steps that will carry cooperation between the two countries further.
"WE KNOW THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR KOREAN FRIENDS IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR ENERGY"
Regarding the latest stage reached in negotiations on the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant Project, Erdoğan underlined that the talks conducted with South Korea on these issues are considered important.
Erdoğan said, "We know the experience of our Korean friends in the field of nuclear energy. Following the memorandum of understanding we signed last year, we carried out important work with KEPCO within the scope of preliminary feasibility. We continue our assessments on the technical and economic conditions of the project and the investment model. At what cost electricity will be produced, how the investment will be financed, and what the project will bring to the Turkish economy will be decisive in the final decision."
Underlining that contacts with other countries are also taken into account, Erdoğan explained that all options are evaluated in line with Türkiye's interests.
"WE WANT OUR TRADE TO GAIN A MORE BALANCED AND SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE"
Touching on commercial relations between Türkiye and South Korea, Erdoğan drew attention to a serious imbalance in the distribution of bilateral trade volume.
President Erdoğan made the assessment: "In 2025, our exports to Korea were approximately 1.14 billion dollars, while our imports realized at the level of 10.26 billion dollars. We want this gap to be reduced and our trade to gain a more balanced and sustainable structure."
Emphasizing that Türkiye's strong production infrastructure, qualified workforce and strategic position offer important opportunities for Korean investors, Erdoğan said:
"When we bring together the Republic of Korea's accumulation in technology and innovation with Türkiye's production power, we can achieve much greater successes. Hyundai's long-established automotive production activities in our country and POSCO's investments in the steel sector are concrete examples of this partnership. We also welcome Hyundai's start of electric vehicle production at its facilities in Izmit."
In addition to these, Erdoğan emphasized that there are important opportunities in electronics, semiconductor technologies, machinery and industrial automation, robotic systems, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and renewable energy, and stated that he desires Korean investors to increase their investments in Türkiye and establish stronger partnerships with Turkish companies, and to achieve more concrete results in areas of joint production and technology development.
President Erdoğan underlined that he welcomes the intense interest shown by South Korea in the PD170 engine developed by TEI within TUSAŞ.
"WE SUPPORT OUR STRATEGIC POSITION BETWEEN ASIA AND EUROPE WITH A STRONG TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE"
Pointing out that the serious security problems in the Strait of Hormuz and restrictions on ship traffic directly affect global energy markets and international trade, Erdoğan said, "The crisis that has occurred has once again shown how vital it is to develop reliable alternative routes in international trade. As Türkiye, we support our strategic position between Asia and Europe with a strong transport and logistics infrastructure."
Erdoğan emphasized that he desires Korean companies to take more part in Türkiye's regional transport and logistics investments, and that there is readiness to provide the necessary support to Korean companies that will invest in Türkiye and provide production and employment.
The President said, "We can develop joint investments especially in railway infrastructure, logistics centers and intelligent transportation systems."