Rough seas swamp nuke plant protest

ENVIRONMENTALISTS yesterday postponed their planned demonstration against a Turkish nuclear plant, saying that it may take place today instead.

The greens had planned to approach the Maritime Security Line (MSL) off Paralimni to hoist a huge banner in Turkish, urging Turkish Cypriots to join them in opposing plans to construct a nuclear plant at Akkuyu on Turkeys south coast.

Green Party president George Perdikis confirmed yesterday the protest had been put off because of rough seas, but “perhaps we will do it tomorrow (Sunday) when the sea has settled”.

Police sources said yesterday that they had been concerned that the protesters planned proximity to the MSL could cause a disturbance, and they had intended to have a number of officers in the area as a precaution.

On Friday Perdikis said that around 100 Greek and Greek Cypriot activists would board two boats and head for the UN-monitored MSL, the maritime extension of the islands Green Line.

He said that the activists would go out as far as the UN would allow them and unfurl the 15 metre-long banner.

Perdikis said that the protest would not be anti-Turkish but pro-humanity.

The demonstration was planned to kick-off a week of anti-nuclear protests and lectures to raise awareness of the dangers posed by the proposed Akkuyu plant.

Perdikis said environmentalists in Cyprus are co-operating with their Turkish counterparts on the issue.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.