Turkish border officials back Aliyev’s call over risks from Armenia’s Metsamor plant

Officials and civil society representatives in Türkiye’s eastern Iğdır province have welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s calls for greater attention to the safety risks posed by Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.

Serdar Ünsal, head of the House of Azerbaijan in Iğdır and deputy head of the Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijani Friendship Associations (TADDEF), said residents and civil society groups in eastern Türkiye had raised concerns about the plant for years, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

“The statement by the President of Azerbaijan that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia is outdated, poses a danger to the entire region, and must be shut down sooner or later is very important and timely,” Ünsal said, describing the facility, located about 16 kilometres from the Turkish border, as a “ticking time bomb.”

He said Iğdır residents had repeatedly called for the plant’s closure and welcomed Azerbaijan’s efforts to draw international attention to the issue.

“We are extremely pleased that the leader of Azerbaijan is raising this issue, drawing the international community’s attention to such a significant threat to the entire region,” Ünsal said.

Ünsal said the Soviet-built plant operates in a seismically active area and warned that a major accident could have consequences beyond Armenia.

“History shows that a nuclear power plant accident knows no borders. Any incident at the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant automatically poses a risk to Eastern Anatolia, the South Caucasus, and the countries of the region. The region’s residents should not have to live in constant fear of a disaster and the spread of radiation,” he said.

He also called for a comprehensive investigation into reported health concerns in Iğdır, including what he described as a high incidence of cancer.

Ünsal argued that the safety of Metsamor should be treated as a regional rather than solely Armenian issue.

“This issue must be on the agenda of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Armenia, as well as the European Union and international organisations. Our demand is crystal clear: human life and the environment are paramount. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant must be shut down before another nuclear disaster occurs," he said. 

By Sabina Mammadli