Main opposition CHP submits motion on nuclear plant in Armenia

ANKARA

Metsamor nuclear plant is located only 16 kilometers to the Turkish border.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Dec. 12 issued a motion for a parliamentary investigation to search possible destructive effects of Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power plant to the neighboring countries.

"As the CHP, we submitted a parliamentary motion to search the destructive effect of Metsamor [nuclear power plant] to our country and the neighboring countries and to take a step to solve the issue by forming an international public opinion," Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, a deputy from the northwestern Zonguldak province, told journalists in parliament.

Yavuzyılmaz said the motion was signed by 40 CHP lawmakers.

He noted that Metsamor was as dangerous as Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Metsamor works "like a time bomb just across the Turkish border," he added.

The Metsamor nuclear power plant, first launched in 1976, is located 16 kilometers (around 10 miles) off Turkey's eastern border with Armenia.

It is also located in one of the most earthquake-prone regions on the planet, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Yerevan.

The facility - which provides the tiny Caucasus nation with around 40 percent of its power - was closed for around seven years following a devastating earthquake in 1988.

But Turkey and Azerbaijan object to its existence as they believe it does not meet international safety standards.

Armenia's Metsamor plan came under criticism by Turkish officials as Armenia decided to extend Metsamor's lifespan until 2026.