AA
ANKARA - Turkish government is determined to continue nuclear projects despite radiation fear from a nuclear reactor in Japan that was hit by a massive earthquake on Friday.
"An earthquake occurred 16 km near the largest nuclear power plant of Japan. The system shut down automatically right after the earthquake and it opened when everything turned out normal. I can say Japan has tested itself. Nuclear power plant projects will continue in Turkey," Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Saturday.
Turkey plans to operate two or three nuclear power plants by 2023. In May 2010, Turkey and Russia signed a $20-bln deal for construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, situated on the Mediterranean coast. Turkey also engaged in nuclear talks with Japan in November 2010 after a failure with South Korea's state nuclear company KEPCO for the construction of the second plant on country's northern coast.
