Environmental groups call for urgent shutdown of Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant

Environmental groups gathered in Iğdır to demand the immediate closure of the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant near the Armenian border, warning of severe regional risks.

Environmental and ecological organisations held a press conference in Iğdır, calling for the closure of Armenia’s Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant, located just 30 km from the Turkish border. Speaking on behalf of the groups, Sabahat Aslan stressed the dangers posed by the aging facility, which lies on an active fault line and continues to operate despite outdated technology.

Aslan reminded that Metzamor’s first reactor began operating in 1976 and the second in 1980. Following the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake, both reactors were shut down due to public pressure. However, the Armenian government reopened the plant in 1995. Although the plant was originally set to be decommissioned in 2005, its operational life has been extended several times since then.

Located in the Aras Basin between Türkiye’s Mount Ağrı and Armenia’s Mount Alagöz, the plant sits along the Eastern Anatolian fault line, a high-risk seismic zone. “Allowing such an old and vulnerable nuclear plant to operate here is an invitation to disaster,” Aslan warned.

Citing the long-term impacts of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters, Aslan pointed out that radiation from those accidents caused massive loss of life and irreparable environmental damage. “The consequences of another nuclear disaster would not be limited to Armenia—it would severely affect Türkiye, Nakhchivan, Iran, and Azerbaijan as well,” she said.

“Chernobyl scientifically proved that nuclear plants are unsafe, even with modern technology. Metzamor is a relic of the past and poses a significant danger to our entire region. The plant must be shut down immediately,” Aslan emphasised.

Environmental groups concluded by urging all international nuclear authorities and the Armenian government to take immediate action. They also called on Turkish institutions to intervene, declaring that their struggle will continue until the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant is permanently closed.

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Metzamor nuclear plant Iğdır environmental protest Armenian nuclear power Chernobyl Fukushima