Excerpt from "A REVIEW OF FRANCE'S NEW GENERATION BARRACUDA CLASS NUCLEAR-PROPELLED SUBMARINES (SSN)" in DzKK official gazette January 2024 issue
"With the recent commissioning of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Turkey will take its place among the countries using nuclear energy. Subsequently, it is foreseen that knowledge and experience in nuclear energy in all sectors, both civilian and military, will increase in a short period of time and this energy will be integrated into new capacity building areas.
In addition, the introduction of nuclear technology in Turkey is also a turning point for the planned national nuclear-powered submarine programme in the medium term. It is inevitable that the transition to nuclear-propelled submarines will lead to critical developments for the Turkish Naval Forces.
In particular, the indigenous heavy torpedo AKYA and the submarine-launched ATMACA G/M will add strength to the power of our submarines, and with the acquisition of long-range GEZGİN cruise missile capability by our nuclear submarines, our submarines will become one of the most effective weapons in the world.
In the process of transition to nuclear energy, considering our limited knowledge and experience in the field, it is considered that there are various issues that need to be taken into consideration for our Naval Forces. Apart from the operation and maintenance of the nuclear reactor, which is a highly technical issue, it is important that projects in line with our concept of submarine utilisation and preliminary preparations for the training of submariner personnel be initiated now. Thus, the foresighted plans to be made as early as the project design phase will provide guidance in solving problems before they arise."