Turkey’s nuclear plant would pose a danger for Cyprus

THE APOCALYPTIC events in Japan may not be as far removed from Cyprus as we think, given Turkey’s intention to build a nuclear plant in Akkuyu, Environment Commissioner, Charalambos Theopemptou warned yesterday.

Akkuyu is close to the active Ecemis fault line and as such the whole area is vulnerable to earthquakes.

“Radiation may be transferred via air or sea and in the case of leakage, it would certainly reach and contaminate the island,” Theopemptou warned. Radiation exposure has long-lasting effects on people’s health and may result to death or chronic illnesses of those exposed and their children, Theopemptou said.

EDEK’s Yiannakis Omirou chimed in to ask that a campaign be launched in Cyprus to prevent the construction of Akkuyu’s nuclear plant.

“It is shocking to see that Japan that may be the most technologically advanced country in the world which has ultramodern nuclear plants to be facing these very serious problems as a consequence of the quake,” Theopemptou said.

Meanwhile the Cyprus Red Cross is asking Cypriots to contribute to all major banks directly, donate in person at their offices, or else to send donations directly to the Red Cross at P.O. Box, 25374, 1309 Nicosia.

The bank account numbers are, for Bank of Cyprus: 113-05-057950-00; Marfin Laiki: 070-31-084482; Hellenic Bank: 121-12-397610-00; Alpha Bank Cyprus: 202-101-004933-9; CDB: 101010001707016; Piraeus Bank: 340309; Co-operative Central Bank: 010-40-02708-6.

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