Turkey to abandon CERN membership process

ISTANBUL

File photo shows CERN,the globe of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Switzerland. Hürriyet Photo.

Turkey has abandoned its goal of becoming a full member of the European Committee of Nuclear Research (CERN) for economic reasons, daily Radikal reported on Nov. 26.

The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) reportedly announced that it did not find it "productive" to pay 70 million Turkish Liras (approximately $50 million) per year to CERN.

Physicians have harshly criticized the decision, with 31 addressing a written letter to the prime minister to say the move is a mistake.

"[CERN membership] is very important for physicians and also for the growing private sector. To increase our prestige as a regional power, we have to keep what we have acquired up to today and continue on our path toward full membership [of CERN]," the letter read.

Turkey applied to become a full member of CERN in 2009. It had been an observer country since CERN's foundation in 1961.