The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Greek Republic in Ukraine, Dimitris Kontoumas, expressed concern in an interview with The Day, No. 11, April 4, 2000, that Turkey was going to build the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in what he thinks is an earthquake-prone area.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey in Ukraine, Alp Karaosmanoglu, made this comment on the preoccupation of the ambassador of a friendly country:
“Turkey is going to build the Akkuyu plant, the first of this kind in the country, in a most seismically stable region. Detailed studies carried out at the site of the future plant in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission have confirmed the safety of the site. The plant will be constructed by the world’s most competent nuclear power plant builders in full conformity with IAEA standards and guidelines. It will be as safe as those in the advanced countries and thus will present no risk.
“I would also like to add that Turkey has a fast growing economy and a population of 65 million. Its energy requirements are rising at an average rate of 7% annually, while its primary energy resources are largely insufficient, making it increasingly dependent on energy import, a situation Ukraine knows well.”
