Ankara: A Turkish court has blocked a 2008 tender won by a Russian company to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, a civil society group that challenged the tender in court said yesterday.

A consortium led by Atomstroyexport, Russia’s state nuclear giant, was the only bidder in the tender to build and operate the plant but the government was yet to decide whether to award the project.

“The Council of State has suspended three articles in the regulation governing the tender process,” the Union of Turkish Engineers’ and Architects’ Chambers (TMMOB) said in a statement.

“With this decision, the nuclear power plant tender has legally ended. It has been rendered invalid,” it added.