European parliament calls on Turkey to drop Akkuyu nuke project

BRUSSELS, Jul 6 (PRIME) -- The European Parliament called on Turkey to abandon construction of its first nuclear power plant Akkuyu together with Russia because it is located in an earthquake prone region, it said on Thursday.

“(The European Parliament) calls on the Turkish government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey, but also to the Mediterranean region,” the resolution read.

The parliament also requested the Turkish government “join the Espoo Convention, which commits its parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries,” and also asked the government to negotiate the project with neighboring countries like Greece and Cyprus.

The nuclear plant will comprise four units with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts each. The first unit of the plant could be launched in 2023. Currently, the project company Akkuyu Nuclear belongs to Russia, but Moscow has already signed an agreement on the main conditions of sale of a 49% stake in the company to Turkish companies Cengiz Holding, Kolin Insaat and Kalyon Insaat.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was sure that the two countries will be able to build the plant on time.

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