Workers employed by a subcontractor at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant construction site in Mersin, southern Turkey, halted work today, citing unpaid wages for the past three months. The plant is being built by Russian state energy company Rosatom.
Among the striking workers were both Turkish and Russian nationals. During the protest, workers attempted to march to the management building while chanting slogans, but were blocked by gendarmerie.
According to the local newspaper Haberci, the gendarmerie intervened harshly, using water cannons against the workers.
This is not the first time workers at Akkuyu have staged protests over poor working conditions and wage issues. Previous demonstrations have also been met with force by law enforcement.
🔴 Akkuyu Nükleer Santrali’nde çalışan işçilere jandarma müdahalesi
— bianet (@bianet_org) July 23, 2025
👉 İşçiler, üç aydır maaşlarını alamadıkları gerekçesiyle iş bıraktı. https://t.co/UayG2LfHgQ pic.twitter.com/oQQQ0esOME
‘We stand with resisting workers’
The Revolutionary Construction and Road Workers’ Union (Dev Yapı-İş), affiliated with the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), issued a statement condemning the gendarmerie’s actions.
“At the Mersin Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant site, construction workers protesting poor working conditions and unpaid wages for the past three months were attacked by the gendarmerie with tear gas, batons, and water cannons while trying to march to company offices,” the statement read.
It continued, “While state institutions remain silent about wage theft by the employer, they respond with police and gendarmerie when workers demand their rights. We stand with the struggling and resisting construction workers. We will change this system of modern-day slavery.”
.jpg)
Hundreds of workers suffer from food poisoning at Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear plant
Conractor's debt
According to Sota News, an independent outler based in Russia, the core issue behind the unpaid wages lies with the subcontractor, TSM Enerji.
Russian workers are recruited via Titan-2, a Russian firm, but they sign separate employment contracts with TSM Enerji once in Turkey. Rosatom is officially excluded from this arrangement.
A document dated Jul 22 from TSM Enerji reportedly states that the company lacks the resources to pay off its 58 million US dollars of debt to Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK). As a result, seizure of the company’s assets and a halt to its operations are reportedly on the table. (TY/VK)
