US, Turkey agree on peaceful nuclear cooperation

Turkey and the US had signed the cooperation agreement in Ankara on July 26, 2000, but it was only brought into force on Monday due to problems in the ratification processes, a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

"The agreement -- mindful of the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which both countries have long been parties, and of the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency's [IAEA] security inspections in preventing proliferation -- sets up a framework for the peaceful use, development and inspection of nuclear energy," the statement said.

The ministry also indicated that the agreement permits the transfer of technology, information, materials, equipment and components for nuclear research in such areas as medicine and agriculture, as well as for nuclear power production.

The agreement does not permit transfers of sensitive nuclear technology and restricted data. In a similar statement the US State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs said: "The agreement establishes a firm foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation in the important field of peaceful nuclear energy for many years to come. It opens up opportunities for US and Turkish nuclear industries to cooperate in this field."

The agreement has an initial term of 15 years, with a provision for automatic renewal in increments of five years each unless either party decides to terminate it. "By bringing the Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation into force, the United States and Turkey have taken an early step in what they both expect will be a very long and fruitful partnership in efforts to enhance their energy options and promote their energy security," the US statement said.

Sedat Laçiner, the head of the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/USAK), told Today's Zaman that the agreement shows the extent of the trust that the United States has for Turkey. "Nuclear materials are highly sensitive products. There is a danger that they can be sold to third countries on the US black list, such as Iran. So the White House cannot by itself approve selling nuclear technology. It goes through a process of approval by Congress," Laçiner said.

He also said American companies have a stronger hand in this agreement than others, such as French and Canadian firms, which are most interested in Turkey's nuclear development projects, because the agreement involves technology transfer, mutual production of materials and the education of Turkish engineers in the field of nuclear production. "If other countries' companies cannot provide these things, American firms will have an upper hand," he said.

In January US President George W. Bush approved a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Turkey, saying that private-sector proliferation worries have been addressed.

Then Bush sent the US Congress a July 2000 agreement, signed by then-US president Bill Clinton, which would clear the way for cooperation with Turkey's planned civilian atomic sector.

"In my judgment, entry into force of the agreement will serve as a strong incentive for Turkey to continue its support for nonproliferation objectives and enact future sound nonproliferation policies and practices," Bush said in a letter to lawmakers on Jan. 23. "It will also promote closer political and economic ties with a NATO ally, and provide the necessary legal framework for US industry to make nuclear exports to Turkey's planned civil nuclear sector," Bush also said.

The deal stalled shortly after being signed in July 2000 because US agencies received "information implicating Turkish private entities in certain activities directly relating to nuclear proliferation," the White House said, adding that those "issues have been sufficiently resolved."