Quake proof reactor?
activists of the environmental pressure group Greenpeace have raised concerns over a plan for building a nuclear power plant in Turkey's earthquake prone zone. Greenpeace spokesperson Melda Keskin called on Canada, Germany, Japan, France, the UK and the US to stop putting pressure on the Turkish government to buy nuclear reactors from their respective countries.
"After the disastrous earthquake that rocked northern Turkey on August 17, common sense would dictate cancelling these dangerous nuclear reactor sales to Turkey. However, representatives of the bidding companies are ignoring this threat,' said Keskin, who is Greenpeace Mediterranean's energy campaigner.
All three consortia involved in competing for a future nuclear programme in Turkey responded to last year's 6.2 Richter Adana earthquake in the South-eastern Mediterranean region by claiming that their reactors would be earthquake safe. "There are no such things as earthquake safe reactors, just as there are no crash proof air-planes or unsinkable ships,' said Keskin.