The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources continues its work on the research, development, and localization of nuclear technology. NÜKEN, a subsidiary of the Ministry’s affiliated organization, TENMAK, is taking significant steps in this area.

10 Separate Working Groups

NÜKEN is working in a total of 10 separate working groups: four working groups under the Nuclear Sciences and Materials Research Coordination, three each under the Radiation Metrology and Measurement Services Coordination, and three each under the Accelerator and Irradiation Technologies Coordination.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar shared a video about TENMAK NÜKEN on his social media account. Minister Bayraktar stated, “We do not view nuclear technologies as limited to energy production. We consider them a strategic force in many areas, from health and agriculture to industry and space technologies. Through the scientific studies and R&D projects we conduct at our Ministry’s TENMAK Nuclear Energy Research Institute, we are developing domestic and innovative solutions for the needs of the future. Our goal is to build a Turkey that has integrated peaceful nuclear technology into every aspect of life, developed its own capabilities in this field, and has a global voice.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erhan Aksu, President of TENMAK NÜKEN, stated that TENMAK NÜKEN has the largest proton accelerator facility in Europe and Asia. He added that this facility has an energy capacity of 30 million electron volts and serves the production of radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes) and R&D studies.

Aksu stated that the facility conducts research on a wide range of materials, from agriculture and food to reactor materials. He said, “Radiopharmaceuticals are produced, and these radiopharmaceuticals are used in imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer patients in public and private hospitals.”

Aksu stated that the first nuclear battery in Turkey was produced at TENMAK NÜKEN’s nuclear physics research laboratory. Aksu shared, “A nuclear battery capable of delivering 10 nanoamperes of current has been produced for approximately 100 years.”

TENMAK NÜKEN President Aksu explained that NÜKEN also conducted the first cylindrical fusion study in Turkey within the scope of fusion research. He said, “Developing domestic and national products is among our priorities. NÜKEN also contributes to studies in space technologies. TENMAK holds the energy of the future, and NÜKEN holds the power of science.”