Türkiye slams Israel over nuclear weapons narrative on Gaza

BRUSSELS

Türkiye has slammed Israel for using a narrative over nuclear weapons in the context of the ongoing Israeli offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza and called for the denuclearization of the Middle East to avoid a possible nuclear arms race.

“While the carnage in Gaza goes on, Israeli officials’ narrative on nuclear weapons, cannot be simply shrugged off as ‘reckless.’ Türkiye, therefore, reiterates its call for denuclearizing the region to avoid a possible nuclear arms race,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in his address to the first Nuclear Energy Summit that took place in Brussels on March 21.

The summit was co-organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Belgium, which is running the term presidency of the European Union. Countries that developed and use nuclear energy and those which are developing nuclear energy attended the summit.

“The use or threat to use of nuclear weapons is not acceptable. Particularly, the rhetoric about nuclear weapons casts shadow on our common pursuit for a secure and energy-wise clean future,” Fidan said, adding the most stressful region in this regard is the Middle East.

He appreciated the IAEA’s critical role in this evolving landscape of nuclear safety and security.

HH Zaporija power plant serious concern

Fidan highlighted the situation in Zaporijya Nuclear Power Plant a serious concern for Türkiye. “Our country and the region had to endure the Chernobyl disaster. We simply cannot afford another one. Türkiye undertakes several initiatives to avert a dreadful episode in Zaporijya,” he said, expressing support for the Director General’s efforts in this regard.

The plant, the biggest in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world, has been under Russian control since early 2022. Since then, fears of a nuclear catastrophe have persisted as both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling near the plant. The IAEA is exerting efforts to control the situation to avoid a nuclear accident.

 Türkiye aims clean energy

The minister said that the summit constitutes a turning point concerning the future of civil nuclear energy.

“Türkiye has already been implementing a solid energy route and source diversification strategy; with an ambitious clean energy transition agenda. As a fast-growing industrial economy, we had to introduce new energy supply programs,” he stated.

Türkiye stepped into the civil nuclear arena and the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is its flagship project, Fidan underlined, “Once fully operational, it will meet ten percent of our electricity demand. Our objective is to raise this level by building additional conventional plants as well as small modular reactors.”

“As an embarking country, we have been applying the highest international safety standards in cooperation with the Agency,” the Turkish minister said, adding, “I would also like to highlight the importance of global cooperation for financing of nuclear energy projects.”