Azerbaijan, Baku, October 31 /Trend A.Tagiyeva/
Ankara is demanding the immediate closure of the Metsamor nuclear power plant which is a threat to all countries in the region, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz was quoted today by TRT Haber TV channel as saying.
The minister said that the Metsamor nuclear power plant has been operating for over 40 years and old plants are a great threat.
Earlier, Turkish media reported that the Armenian government has decided to extend the work of Metsamor until 2023.
Metsamor NPP was built in 1970. After the devastating earthquake in Spitak in 1988 it was closed, but in 1995 despite international protests, the activities of the station were resumed and a second reactor was launched.
Given the large number of minor earthquakes in the past 10 years in this area, as well as the intensification of seismic processes as indicated by research of seismologists, in the event of a serious accident at the Metsamor NPP not only Armenia, but also all the countries of South Caucasus and the Middle East will seriously suffer.