Risks of the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant to be Discussed at a Panel in Iğdır

A panel jointly organized by the Iğdır Bar Association, the Ağrı-Kars-Ardahan-Iğdır Medical Chamber, and the Turkey Environmental Platform is creating an important platform to address the impacts of the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant on regional security, the environment, and public health. This event, which will be held on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at 13.00 at the 15 July Martyrs Conference Hall in the Karaağaç Campus of Iğdır University, aims to provide a broad perspective with the participation of experts and non-governmental organizations. The presence of the plant, located approximately 16 kilometers from the Turkey border and only 30 kilometers from the Iğdır city center, is considered a serious security issue rather than just a daily agenda item for the local population. Sabahattin Aslan, Chairman of the Mersin Environment and Nature Association, will facilitate the panel, thereby concretizing the importance given to the issue by civil society. The authorities invite all environmentally conscious citizens to the panel to hear about this critical issue directly from experts and to raise awareness.

As part of the panel, various and complementary presentations prepared by expert academics and scientists in the field will be delivered. Iğdır University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysun Altıkat will convey the environmental impacts of nuclear energy to the participants in the light of scientific data. Prof. Dr. Hayrettin Kılıç from the TURUNÇ Green Thought Foundation will evaluate the risks by addressing the potential dangers directly created by the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant and the future status of the facility. After Dr. Enver Yaser Küçükçül, an environmental science and technology expert, shares the operation of nuclear radiation monitoring systems in Turkey, nuclear waste management processes, and his current observations on this subject; Dr. İhsan Topaloğlu from Kafkas University will examine the direct and indirect effects of nuclear facilities on public health. This comprehensive academic perspective will pave the way for understanding the plant not only as a political but also as a technical and medical issue.

One of the most debated topics regarding the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant is that it uses old technology and is located in an active seismic zone. Regulatory organizations emphasize that this geological location of the plant puts a wide geography at risk, including not only Iğdır but also Armenia, Nahçıvan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, especially Turkey. The resilience that a nuclear facility operating with old equipment would show against a major natural disaster such as an earthquake is seriously questioned by international environmental and nuclear safety experts. Based on the fact that a regional disaster would recognize no borders, the panel will discuss how these risks can be managed in the context of international diplomacy and environmental policies. The organizations point out that this situation has the potential to turn into a regional crisis, arguing that the issue must be addressed in all its aspects.

The safety and fate of the plant have become an issue closely monitored not only by local but also by international organizations and European Union institutions in past years. In the European Parliament's 15 March 2023 resolution on EU-Armenia Relations, deep concerns regarding the continued operation of this plant with old technology were officially expressed. In this resolution, Armenia was asked to prepare an urgent roadmap and action plan for the immediate closure and safe decommissioning of the facility. Furthermore, it was emphasized that mandatory measures must be taken to bring the current facility in line with international standards until a new and reliable energy capacity is created to replace the plant. These developments clearly show that the Metzamor issue has become a determining factor in Armenia's international relations and energy policies.

On the other hand, the detailed reports prepared for Armenia by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) systematically reveal the technical deficiencies and vulnerabilities of the plant. In the stress test report dated June 2016; it was stated that the plant has a safety level below the EU average in critical areas such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic hazards, loss of cooling systems, and severe accident management. The report listed that systems that would prevent a possible disaster, such as the emergency core cooling system, reactor leaktightness, and hydrogen control, need to be urgently improved. In ENSREG's more recent statement dated 20 April 2026, it was pointed out that although some progress has been made, the recommendations identified as high priority in the 2016 report have still not been fully implemented. The international community's final stance has been to reiterate their persistent calls for the plant to be closed at the earliest possible date without taking any risks.