Protesters crash meeting

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Gülşah Gözek, a Greenpeace activist, holds a placard reading ‘Turkey does want nuclear’ as executives of Akkuyu Nükleer, the contractor of a power plant, in the country’s south, gaze at her during a meeting in Ankara. The activist had earlier made it into a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling parliamentary group meeting with a similar placard. Superfin Alexander (3rd R), the company head, says he is disturbed with the protests. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

Two Greenpeace protestors jeered Akkuyu Nükleer Güç Santrali Chairman Alexander Superfin at yesterday’s press conference in Ankara.

Gülşah Gözek, one of the protestors, held up a poster near to the desk of conference speakers, which read, “Turkey does not want nuclear. Nuclear power plants are filthy.”
As the protestors were escorted out of the conference room, one protestor screamed “Nuclear power plants cause death and destroy the environment.”

A similar display took place at the Dec.8 information meeting held in Mersin in southern Turkey. In response to yesterday’s protest, Superfin said “This isn’t good. Each time we have to try to calm them down.” 

Gözek and Bahadır Çam, another Greenpeace activist, raised placards protesting the government’s nuclear plans during the ruling Justice and Development Party’s parliamentary group meeting on Feb. 9, 2010 before being detained by the police.

Akkuyu Nükleer Güç Santrali, a Turkish-Russian joint venture, has raised $1.2 billion to be used towards Turkey’s first nuclear power plant to be built in Akkuyu, a region in southern Turkey close to Mersin. 

“This money will be used in 2012 and 2013 to fund our nuclear power plant project,” said Superfin. 
Superfin also said Akkuyu is still negotiating with local and foreign investors to secure more financing. Furthermore, he outlined what the company’s activities in 2011 and what its future plans were for 2012. 

Construction begins in 2014

Akkuyu is presently working on the power plant design and will commence work on the power plant’s infrastructure in the second half of 2012, he said. Akkuyu plans to invest more than $30 million dollars to sub-contract Turkish companies for this work. 

Superfin said the company wanted to start building the super structures including roads, temporary accommodation and recreational areas. Construction of the actual plant is projected to begin in the middle of 2014, he said, adding that he expects the first nuclear power plant unit to be ready in the middle of 2019. 

Akkuyu said more than 25 percent of its employees will be comprised of locals. To that end, local employees will be sent to Russia for proper training and education regarding nuclear power plants. 
“We want Turkish employees not only in the area of engineering, but also for infrastructure and services,” said Superfin at the press conference.