Türkiye’s institutional journey in nuclear energy and scientific research began in 1956 with the General Secretariat of the Atomic Energy Commission, established under Law No. 6821. In 1982, this structure was reorganised under Law No. 2690 and was named as; “Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK). With this development, nuclear research, training and application activities in Türkiye became systematically institutionalised.

With the establishment of the Çekmece Nuclear Research and Training Centre (ÇNAEM) in Istanbul in 1962, post-university nuclear research in Türkiye acquired a professional structure. Ankara Nuclear Research Centre (ANAEM) began to operate in 1967 whereas the Nuclear Agriculture Centre within ANAEM began to operate in 1979 thereafter. These units made a major contribution to the development of nuclear technologies within Türkiye’s scientific infrastructure.

As of 2018, the Agency’s organisational structure was reshaped. SANAEM, the Department of Radiation and Accelerator Technologies (RHTD), and ÇNAEM were restructured as the Department of Technology Development (TGD) and the Department of Radioactive Waste Management (RAYD), respectively. This development enabled scientific competence to be managed more effectively and provided technological applications to be replied more rapidly.

The new institutional framework built on this accumulated experience was formally established by Presidential Decree No. 57 on 28 March 2020. In the same year, under Presidential Decree No. 4, Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK), National Boron Research Institute and Rare Earth Elements Research Institute were brought together under a single umbrella and restructured under the name of; Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency (TENMAK).

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Today, TENMAK is a special-budget public legal entity affiliated with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, operating in the fields of energy, mining, ionising radiation, particle accelerators and nuclear technology.

Headquartered in Ankara, TENMAK includes specialised research centres such as the Nuclear Energy Research Institute (NÜKEN), Boron Research Institute, Rare Earth Elements Research Institute, Clean Energy Research Institute and Energy Research Institute. Through its technology transfer offices, R&D centres, and training and information units, the Agency also continues to strengthen Türkiye’s scientific infrastructure and guide its technological development.

To enhance Türkiye’s competitiveness, TENMAK aims to develop new products, improve existing ones and achieve global leadership in these fields. As an organisation that supports, coordinates and promotes scientific research, it continues to shape the future through knowledge

TENMAK has been conducting its activities within a multidisciplinary structure in order to develop Türkiye’s scientific and technological capacity in the fields of energy and mining. The Agency carries out research and development in strategic areas such as nuclear energy, rare earth elements, boron technologies, clean energy and ionising radiation.

Through the institutes and units within the Agency:

• Technologies are developed to improve sustainability and efficiency in energy generation.

• Training, application and R&D activities in nuclear science and technologies are supported.

• Strategic uses of critical minerals such as boron and rare earth elements are researched.