Nuclear Law: First Episode of a Lethal Scenario

We have made it to the Turkish Parliament staging a die-in at the main gate warning the parliament of the possible threats the proposed law can pose on Turkey from simple accidents to being potential target for military and or terror attacks, which are quite common in our part of the world. 

 “Nuclear energy is the most expensive and dangerous means ever devised by human beings to generate electricity. Yet. This draft law supports the nuclear industry in an unprecedented way in the world history. A feed-in-law system is used in other parts of the world for renewable energy, not for nuclear power. Opening the doors to nuclear energy as wide as this proposal demands, will not only end up obliging the Turkish people to pay both expensive electricity prices and taxes for an unsustainable energy but also by leaving them alone and vulnerable to a potential accident in the plant, to the radioactive waste disposal or transportation and to any terrorist or military attacks against the plant. We know that there is no single company insuring the damages of the nuclear disasters, yet the liabilities in the law proposal can cover only a very small portion of possible damages,” said Hilal Atici, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Mediterranean.

"Should the investment go to renewable energy technologies such as Wind and Solar power, Turkey could deliver 16 times the energy generation that nuclear energy could provide. Moreover, these renewable technologies coupled with energy efficiency programs, do offer true energy independence, which, among other advantages, cannot be threatened by terrorist attacks, nor do they have any negative environmental impacts. While the most progressive countries invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies while abandoning nuclear, the nuclear lobby tries to take Turkey back to the ancient ages, Nuclear power should be left in the dustbin of failed 20^th century technologies; new, modern and safe renewable technologies are the vision of this 21^st century.” added Atici.

This Protest comes inline with a series of protests and criticism against the proposed law by different civil society bodies in Turkey. It Started with a march by a number of parliament members, to Journalist and activist Timur Danis and continued by the participation of activists from Greenpeace, Chamber of Electrical Engineers and the Chamber of Environmental Engineers besides the marches in 4 other cities in Turkey.