Igdir Residents Demand Closure of Metsamor Nuclear Plant
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 8 2004
Baku Today 08/06/2004 12:24
Residents of Turkey’s northeastern province of Igdir, which borders
Armenia and Azerbaijan’s autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, began
demanding Turkish authorities and international organizations help
close down Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant, Anadolu agency
reported on Sunday.
Mayor of the province, Nurettin Aras, reportedly said the residents are
deeply concerned over possible danger the plant may cause. He said the
Igdir residents were preparing an appeal to the Turkish government,
World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) to take necessary measures regarding the Metsamor plant.
“Our residents are worried about any possible leak or explosion at
the power plant,” Aras told the Anadolu agency. “Several trees near
Armenian border have died, causing us to feel we are in danger. I
call on the World Health Organization to take action as soon as
possible. Necessary initiatives should rapidly be launched to close
down this plant.”
Aras said the Igdir residents had collected 2,500 signatures on the
first day of a one-week campaign launched by his office for closure of
the nuclear power plant, which is some 15-20 kilometers east of Igdir.
Experts believe that the Metsamor nuclear plant is a source of a
potential danger for the whole region in view of Armenia’s being
a seismically active country. A powerful earthquake that jolted
Armenia in December of 1988 put end to the lives of tens of thousands
of people.