This visit follows Niger’s decision to revoke mining rights from Canadian and French companies for uranium development after the West African nation came under military control following a coup in July 2023.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the delegation, led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and including top spy chief Ibrahim Kalin, aims to utilise Nigerien uranium reserves to support Turkey’s growing nuclear-power industry.
Turkey’s interest in Niger’s uranium supply is linked to its first nuclear power plant, the Mediterranean Akkuyu, being constructed by Russia’s state-run Rosatom, as well as two other planned facilities.
The World Nuclear Association reveals that Niger accounts for about 5% of the world’s uranium resources and is among the top 10 providers of the fuel.
The report noted that Turkey cannot convert or enrich uranium ore into the material required for reactors and has a long-term fuel-supply agreement with Rosatom as part of the Akkuyu project.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long aimed to expand his nation’s influence in African countries through initiatives ranging from launching television channels to selling drones and providing ship-mounted electricity plants.
He also defended Niger’s decision to halt uranium exports to France, citing the European country’s historical oppression of Niger, which was a French colony until it gained independence in 1960.
