Opposition to Nuclear Energy Raising Its Voice

Turkey passed an Law on Nuclear Energy last year and is planning its first plants in Sinop on the Black Sea and in Mersin on the Mediterranean coast. The government is hoping to produce a total of 5,000 megawatt energy from both plants.

"Outmoded" plan 

However, Ümit Sahin, the spokesperson for the Turkish Greens, says that even if the law has been past, it will be difficult for the government to overcome the opposition to nuclear power by the public in general and by experts who criticise the dangerous conditions of the building bid.
Sahin believes that the anti-nuclear movement has to act fast in order to prevent the plants.

Hilmi Güler, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources has called nuclear energy the “fifth column”, counting water, coal, natural gas and renewable energy as the four others. According to Güler, there has been investment in renewable energy, i.e. wind turbines, solar energy and energy created with water, but nuclear energy is also necessary.

Sahin disputes both claims, arguing that apart from water, renewable sources are hardly exploited at all. He also describes the “five column” model as “outmoded.” Instead of investing into nuclear energy, Turkey should become a world leadaer in wind, energy and geothermal energy.

The Greens have called on the public to join demonstrations organised by the Global Action Group on 26 April, the 22nd anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.

Mersin does not want a power plant 

Meanwhile, the city of Mersin has reacted to the announcement that its province is to become a site for a nuclear power plant.

Members of the Mersin Anti-Nuclear Platform gathered in front of the Mersin municipality building in order to call on the country to opppose nuclear power plants.

Kamer Gülbeyaz, president of the Mersin branch of the Chamber of Electrial Engineers (EMO), spoke in the name of the platform. He said that the argument used for building power plants was that there was a need for more energy, but that this was wrong.

Nuclear power plants are expensive and dangerous 

He said: “Turkey has no need for nuclear power plants, which are expensive to found, produce, manage and keep safe, whose waste problem has not been solved, and which are being rejected by the rest of the world. We do not make sufficient use of our renewable energy potential. We have enough resources to meet electricity demands until 2030.”

Gülbeyaz said that nuclear power plants, which would take at least 10 to 15 years to build, would not save Turkey. He called on the public to oppose the plans. (EZÖ/TK/AG)