Russian Workers At A Nuclear Power Plant Construction Site In Turkey Have Protested

• 23.07.2025, 14:34

They don't get paid their salaries.

Russian citizens involved in the construction of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Mersin province have joined the protests of other workers, which broke out due to non-payment of wages. This is reported by Sota with reference to relatives of Russian construction workers.

Workers blocked the road near the construction site, the publication notes. They are smashing cars traveling to the site, demanding payment of money. Judging by the footage, water cannons were used against the protesters, and they responded by throwing stones at a car that was pouring water on them.

Families of Russian workers said they stopped being paid their wages in early July. According to relatives, problems arose back in May, against this background, the staff at the construction site was reduced from 12 to 3 thousand people.

Even in March, Turkish construction workers went on strike, demanding the repayment of wage debts. Then workers from Russia were afraid to protest, as in this case they could be fired with the cancellation of return tickets to Russia, bought under the labor contract.

The Akkuyu NPP project is implemented by the state corporation Rosatom on the "build-own-operate" model. The Russians are hired in Russia by Titan-2 company, on site they conclude a labor contract with Turkish TSM Enerji. Formally, Rosatom is not involved in the scheme.

On July 22, TSM Enerji sent an official letter to Anton Dedusenko, chairman of the board of directors of Rosatom's subsidiary Akkuyu Nuclear. It says that the contractor does not have the necessary $58 million demanded by Turkey's Social Security and State Insurance Fund (SGK). The company is threatened with property seizure and termination of work, the letter said.