On September 18, 2021, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that Akkuyu Nuclear Motor unit 1 (VVER-1200) will be put into operation in May 2023. This is the first time that Turkish officials have confirmed the commissioning time of Unit 1.

Erdogan said that units 2 and 3 of the project will also be put into operation as soon as possible, but did not disclose the specific timetable. Earlier, there was news that after the first unit was put into operation in 2023, the remaining three units would be put into operation at intervals of one year.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Project was constructed in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement signed between Turkey and Russia in May 2010, and was developed by the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Russian National Atomic Energy Company (Rosatom) in Turkey (Akkuyu Nukleer AS). The Unit 1 project started in December 2017. In the second half of 2020, Akuyu Unit 2 completed the pouring of the raft foundation, and Unit 3 will also start construction in March 2021. On August 12, 2021, the No. 4 unit project will start the pre-construction work after obtaining the permission of restricted works.