Turkish official warns UN over Armenian nuclear plant security

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
5 May 05

Kars, 5 May: Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu said on Wednesday [4 May]
that Metzamor Nuclear power plant near Turkey-Armenia border, is a
risk like a nuclear war for the security of the region.

Kars mayor informed members at a UN General Assembly meeting about
his remarks. Alibeyoglu told the meeting that Metzamor nuclear power
plant was erected in 1970 on a fault line which was only 40 kilometres
to Yerevan, 16 kilometres to Igdir and 60 kilometres to Kars.

Pointing out to the security problems in the plant, Alibeyoglu said
that “an accident may happen at that nuclear station any time, or
there can be explosions due to a possible earthquake or any other
reason. In such a case, Kars and Igdir in Turkey and Armenia will
totally be devastated. We’ve conveyed our concerns to International
Atomic Energy Agency about this issue. But Armenian officials don’t
want to shut down the plant saying that they need energy.”

The nuclear power plant was closed down after the earthquake in the
region in 1988, but reopened in 1992.