Turkey will construct its first nuclear power plant in the southern province of Mersin.

The law on construction and operation of a nuclear power plant in Mersin's Akkuyu town entered into force after it had been published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday.

The members of international environmental group, Greenpeace, protested several times and collected 170,000 signatures to stop the bill, saying “We do not want any nuclear power plants,” “No to dirty nuclear agreements,” “Turkey does not want nuclear power” and “We do not want any nuclear war”.

Meanwhile, Mehmet Kale, mayor of the town, is one of the naysayers. Kale says, "Akkuyu is a heaven where blue and green meet in perfect harmony."

He says Turkey definitely needs a nuclear power plant, but not in a town in the middle of a place on the Mediterranean shores.

The Turkish parliament adopted the bill on July 15.

Turkey and the Russian Federation signed an agreement in Ankara on the construction of the nuclear power plant on May 12, 2010.

According to the agreement, the two countries will cooperate in construction and operation of nuclear power plant in Akkuyu in southern province of Mersin.

Russia's Nuclear Energy State Corporation (Rosatom) and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry will be the parties to the agreement.

Russia will launch necessary procedures to establish a project company within three months after the agreement was signed. The Russian authorized institutions will have at least 51 percent share in the project company.

The Russian Federation will undertake creation of a new project company to fulfil the liabilities of the agreement in case the first company fails.

The power plant will have the total capacity of 4,800 MW.

The Akkuyu nuclear power plant is expected to meet 14 percent of the energy Turkey currently generates.
 

AA