ANKARA, December 12. /TASS/. Construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) continues to be complicated because of sanctions but the parties demonstrate the determination to overcome all the problems, Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said during the ceremony of installation of a turbine of the first power generating unit on the NPP site.

"We have faced many challenges as part of the project, we face and we will experience the more. We face plenty of various sanctions and other problems, both hidden and obvious. Nevertheless, this work will be definitely completed as soon as possible owing to our faith and great determination. Turkey will then join the league of countries having the nuclear power sector," Bayraktar said in the address streamed by the Turkish Energy Ministry.

The minister separately expressed gratitude to all counterparts and partners engaged in implementation of the Akkuyu NPP project, national nuclear regulation authorities and Russian agencies. "Certainly, it is highly important that heads of our states personally keep an eye on this issue at a very high level," he added.