Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R, front) and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (L, front) enter a hall during a meeting in Sochi, Russia November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russia and Turkey plan to launch the first reactor at Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Putin said the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom would begin work at the Akkuyu site in the near future.