Turkey has ratified a cooperation agreement with Russia to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

Russia’s Atomstroyexport will build four nuclear power units with a capacity of 1.2GW each near the Mediterranean port of Mersin in the Akkuyu area, and enter into operation in 2016-2019.

Rosatom CEO Sergei Kiriyenko has previously said Russia will hold the controlling stake in the $18bn – $20bn project.

The project will also include the creation of a nuclear engineering company owned by Russia in the initial phase.