MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Turkey, with the registration of its Akkuyu nuclear power plant as a nuclear installation, is joining the club of industrially and technologically developed nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

He made the remarks at the ceremony marking the delivery of the first shipment of nuclear fuel to the plant.

Speaking about the issuance of the certificate to Turkey, the Russian leader said, "Given this, Turkey’s first nuclear plant is getting the official status of a nuclear installation and the flag of the peaceful atom will be raised above Akkuyu."

"It’s quite symbolic that Turkey is joining the club of industrially and technologically developed countries, which have their own nuclear industries, and it’s happening in 2023 as you suggested, dear Mr. President, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic," Putin said, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Turkish government considers the Akkuyu NPP as one of the most important projects in the modern history of the republic and describes it an "age-old dream." Akkuyu is Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. It will house four reactors with Russian-designed generation 3+ VVER reactors. Each reactor will have a capacity of 1,200 MW. After reaching full capacity, the nuclear power plant will generate about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year. According to some forecasts, the power plant will meet up to 10% of Turkey's electricity needs. The project is being fully funded by Russia.