parliament. It also addresses waste management and decommissioning, providing for a National Radioactive Waste Account and a Decommissioning Account, which generators will pay into progressively. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recommended "enacting a law on nuclear energy which establishes an independent regulatory body and putting a national policy in place that covers a wide range of issues, as well as further developing the required human resources". In 2018, Turkey created the . It took over most of the duties of Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) like issueing licenses and permits to companies operating nuclear energy and ionizing radiation facilities. TAEK is now exclusively liable for the management of radioactive waste. Research and development Since 1979, a TRIGA research reactor has been running at the Istanbul Technical University named the ITU TRIGA Mark-II Training and Research Reactor. It is supervised by the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK). It is the second operational and third installed nuclear research reactors in Turkey, the other being the Çekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center. Power plants Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Sinop Nuclear Power Plant İğneada Nuclear Power Plant In 2013 Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yıldız announced that the government was working on the plans of the third nuclear plant, which was projected to be built after 2023 under the management of Turkish engineers. In 2015 it was announced that İğneada had been selected as the third site. Technology would have come from US based firm Westinghouse Electric Company in the form of two AP1000 and two CAP1400. Public opinion Anti nuclear movement There have been anti-nuclear protests in the past, for example in April 2006, plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Ince peninsula caused a large anti-nuclear demonstration in the Turkish city of Sinop. Greenpeace, who have expressed concerns over earthquakes and the ability of the authorities to protect the public, have opposed these proposals. There are concerns that no site for the waste has yet been selected. In 2022 an opposition MP in Mersin said he was against Akkuyu because it is 51% owned by Russia. Economics Waste Signed contract for the Akkuyu plant foresees the return of nuclear fuel waste to Russia. Other waste and waste from future plants may be stored in Turkey, although it is not yet known where. See also Turkish Atomic Energy Authority List of commercial nuclear reactors#Turkey References Sources External