Seoul and Ankara deepen nuclear and defence ties, with Sinop reactors in sight

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook on a bigger partnership Tuesday in Seoul, expanding cooperation on nuclear energy and defence — including one of Turkey's most ambitious power projects. Lee told a joint press conference that both sides see cooperation on reactors at Sinop, in Turkey's north, moving along smoothly. It's Erdogan's first trip to South Korea since 2018.

Turkey wants to build four nuclear reactors at Sinop and four more in the Thrace region, a push to loosen its reliance on imported energy. South Korea is in the running for that business. Erdogan told Yonhap News Agency on Monday that South Korea could become a partner in developing Sinop. The groundwork was laid during Lee's 2025 visit to Ankara, when Turkey's TUNAS nuclear energy company and utility Korea Electric Power Corp signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation.

On trade, the two leaders discussed lifting bilateral volume, which sits at $11 billion, toward the $15 billion level they previously agreed to hit, and updating their free trade agreement. They also mapped out closer work on infrastructure, biotechnology and critical minerals.

Defence is where Erdogan says the strategic partnership has already delivered. He pointed to joint projects like Firtina howitzers and the Altay tank, and both leaders said they would chase joint defence exports to third countries — without saying which ones. Lee framed the defence industry as a core pillar of the relationship.

Business heavyweights are watching closely. Around 80 officials and executives were set to attend a post-summit banquet, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae, according to Lee's office. Hyundai has built cars in Turkey since 1997, with capacity for about 200,000 vehicles a year, while Hyundai Rotem has supplied most of Turkey's trams since 2008 and is hunting for more rail orders.

The summit also touched on North Korea. Lee said Turkey reaffirmed its backing for South Korea's policy toward Pyongyang, and the two leaders agreed to coordinate strategically on peace on the Korean Peninsula.