U.S.-based Georgia Power is interested in joining Turkey’s nuclear power plant project, its Chief Executive Officer Paul Bowers announced on Friday, The Hurriyet Daily News reported.

“Turkey wants to be independent in the energy arena. We can help them because we have been constructing nuclear power plants for the past 30 years,” Bowers told the Anatolia News Agency during his visit to Turkey with Georgia State Governor Nathan Deal.

Bowers stressed that Georgia Power specializes in ensuring that nuclear energy remains safe and clean.

Bowers and Deal are planning to meet with Turkey’s Economy Ministry during their visit to discuss their interest in the nuclear plant project. 

“We have 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S. and 400 around the world. We ensure that our nuclear projects are in line with all safety standards. If there are any other recommendations or suggestions beyond this, we can of course take those on as well,” Bowers said. 

The move comes following the declaration of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz that Turkey is determined to build nuclear power plants, and aims to establish 23 nuclear units by 2023.

The country is in talks with Japan, South Korea, China and Canada for the second nuclear power plant to be constructed in the northern province of Sinop.

Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear energy giant, has been awarded the contract to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant in the southern province of Mersin. The plant is said to cost around $20 billion.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims that the country’s first particle accelerator, which opened at the beginning of the month, aims strictly at serving the health sector and diminishing dependence on external markets.

However, such declarations of peaceful nuclear ambitions remain doubtful, at best, as Erdogan has criticized the international community for singling out Iran on nuclear issues, saying, “You have to be fair. You will overlook Israel’s nuclear activities but you will spark crisis over Iran. This is not fair.”