The program of the visit of the Kazakh delegation of journalists and experts to the constructed Akkuyu NPP in Turkey continued with a meeting with the authorities and the public of the center of the region - the city of Silifke. 

It is a city with a population of one hundred thousand, located in a picturesque area in southern Turkey, in the province of Mersin. The region is famous for the production of fruits and other agricultural products. It produces olive oil, and is the “strawberry capital” of the country, producing 80% of all Turkish strawberries exported all year round. 

Mr. Sadyk Altunok, the Mayor of the city, who addressed the members of the Kazakh delegation, spoke about the prospects and new opportunities that the construction of a nuclear power plant gives to the region. 

In particular, he noted that since the beginning of construction, the Silifke Chamber of Commerce and Industry has included 150 Turkish companies fulfilling various orders for the Akkuyu NPP. Several thousand residents of Silifke are involved in the construction of the station. 

The Mayor, taking into account the specifics of the region, which has a picturesque nature and great biodiversity, paid special attention to the safety issues of the future operation of the Akkuyu NPP:

“We are in constant contact with the management of the constructed plant. The work is conducted openly and transparently, since 2010, public hearings on the safety of the nuclear power plant have been held regularly. We are waiting for the launch of the first of the four power units under construction in six months. We expect the existing energy deficit in the region to be fully offset”. 

Mr. Sadyk Altunok invited Kazakhstani companies to invest in agriculture and tourism business of the rapidly developing region. The Heads of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of the city of Silifke also participated in the meeting.