South Korea and Türkiye agreed to deepen nuclear-energy and defence cooperation at a summit in Seoul on 3 November. Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Recep Tayyip Erdogan placed financing, industrial partnerships and technology at the centre of a relationship that both governments want to expand.
The planned nuclear power station at Sinop is a key part of the talks. A new memorandum addresses financing cooperation for nuclear projects and support for South Korean companies seeking a role. It builds on an earlier agreement from November 2025, rather than announcing a completed plant or a final construction contract.
Ankara is still examining the project’s technical and economic terms. Before the visit, Erdogan said financing, electricity costs and the benefits for Türkiye would influence the choice of partner. That makes the financing framework important, but it leaves a distinction between political support and a binding investment decision.
Defence cooperation is also set to broaden through joint production, technological work and possible access to third-country markets. The leaders discussed further opportunities without publishing a complete list of new procurement contracts. Semiconductors and other advanced technologies are additional areas of interest.
The agreements underline how energy security and industrial policy are becoming part of the same diplomatic conversation. For Türkiye, the question is how to secure technology and finance on workable terms. For South Korean suppliers, it is how to turn a prospective overseas project into an agreed commercial undertaking. The summit advances that process; it does not settle every stage of it.
