'This is letting the country be robbed,' says CHP's Yavuzyılmaz: 'AKP provided Russia $9.8 billion in incentives for Akkuyu'

A prominent opposition lawmaker has fiercely criticized the ruling AKP party, accusing it of orchestrating a massive giveaway to Russia concerning the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, a deputy from the CHP in Zonguldak, stated that the incentives provided to Russia for the project amount to $9.8 billion, calling it the "biggest giveaway in the history of the Republic."

During a parliamentary session, Yavuzyılmaz presented documents detailing the financial benefits, including tax reductions and investment incentives. She argued that the AKP is now seeking to grant further concessions to Russia until 2045, such as eliminating stamp duty and providing VAT exemptions on construction and equipment. "What will be the bill for Turkey for these incentives?" she questioned, estimating the additional tax burden on Turkish citizens to be around $5 billion.

Yavuzyılmaz contended that instead of offering such substantial financial incentives, Turkey could have negotiated for a significant ownership stake in the Akkuyu plant, potentially close to half, or reduced the guaranteed electricity purchase terms for Russia. She described the agreement, which includes the plant's operational and decommissioning phases extending to 2125, as a "terrible contract" that makes Turkey "dependent on Russia for a hundred years."

Furthermore, Yavuzyılmaz highlighted that the Akkuyu Nuclear A.Ş. (the operating company) is 100% Russian-owned, with five Russian board members and zero Turkish members. She presented documents she described as "cosmically secret" from a sworn accountant's report, indicating that Russia plans to earn $478 billion from the plant over its lifespan, averaging $7 billion annually. "What you are doing is letting the country be robbed," she declared, questioning why such extensive incentives were not negotiated before the contract was signed in 2010.