Armenian nuclear plant should be shut down: Turkish MFA

An appeal demanding to take measures regarding the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia, located 16 kilometres away from Türkiye's borders, was announced at a session of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.

The Turkish Parliament emphasises that the NPP, due to the end of its operational life, poses a danger to the whole region, Anadolu Agency reports.

The Turkish Parliament's Petitions Commission, which analyses petitions and complaints received by the parliament from citizens, received an appeal asking it to take action against the risks posed by the nuclear power plant.

The Commission responded to the petition based on information provided by ministries, institutions and organisations dealing with the issue.

The response notes that the city of Igdir has developed a Radiation Emergency Action Plan, and the principles of planning and actions in case of a radiation emergency that may cause health consequences for people outside the nuclear facility site or in Igdir were defined.

The response of the Parliamentary Commission reports that a regional workshop on radiation emergency was held to raise public awareness through information activities for the residents of the town of Igdir.

The answer of the Grand Assembly states that information events were held in the border villages in Igdir town, iodine tablets were provided in coordination with the Ministry of Health, and their distribution and storage in necessary places were ensured. Also, local-level measures are being organised in case of radiation accidents.

In the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is recalled that the Metsamor NPP is under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Foreign Ministry emphasises that the IAEA and the European Union have determined that the safety condition of the plant does not meet modern technical standards. The Agency continues to work to address safety deficiencies related to the plant's structural weaknesses. IAEA staff make periodic visits and inspections to Armenia, and a detailed report is compiled after each safety mission.

"The closure of the nuclear power plant is the sole responsibility of Armenia. However, review meetings of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, to which Armenia is a party, the Nuclear Safety Conference and other relevant venues emphasise that the NPP is located in a region where natural disasters are frequent. The NPP is built very close to our border and is a facility operated with old technology. The plant represents a risk factor for the entire region. My country speaks about these risks both at IAEA general conferences and when making the necessary appeal to the international community. Our region and the world cannot allow a second Chornobyl to happen. The Metsamor nuclear power plant must be closed. In this regard, this problem will continue to be under the close attention of our country," the Foreign Ministry emphasised.

Noting that in the region, which may be affected in case of a possible release, radiological monitoring of the environment is carried out, samples are periodically taken and radiological analyses are carried out. "To date, no negative results of radiological monitoring and analyses have been detected. On the other hand, to detect a possible radioactive release outside the country, instantaneous monitoring of the gamma radiation dose rate in the air throughout the country is carried out with the help of the radiation monitoring and warning system network, which has 226 stations. The stations that make up this network are located most often in the region close to the power plant and as close as possible to the power plant."

In the event of a situation that puts Türkiye at risk, the international community, especially the IAEA institutions can be mobilised to take the necessary measures.

Russia, the United States and Japan are the first three in terms of the number of nuclear power plant accidents that have occurred so far. Of the 27 reported NPP accidents, five have occurred in the US, four in Russia and four in Japan.

The Metsamor NPP, construction of which began in 1970, has two reactors, one of which was commissioned in 1976 and the other in 1980. Both reactors were shut down in 1989 after the 1988 Spitak earthquake, but reactor No. 2 was restarted in 1995 after repair work.

The reactor expired in 2005. As a result of repair work carried out in August 2021, the lifetime was extended to 2026.

Türkiye has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to suspend the operation of the nuclear power plant, which was built during the former Soviet era.

The European Union is also demanding the closure of the plant because it is located in an earthquake-prone zone and has outdated technology.