Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenia’s obsolete Metsamor nuclear plant poses a threat to the region and the whole world and must be shut down, a Turkish think-tank has said.

Sinan Ogan, head of the Turkish Center for International and Strategic Analysis, told the local Anadolu news agency that the facility endangers not only Turkey but also Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Armenia itself.

Ogan said that according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union, the Metsamor plant is considered one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear power stations.

"When Armenia was admitted to the Council of Europe on January 25, 2001, it assumed a commitment to close the station by 2004, but it still insists that the facility is not to be shut," the analyst said.

According to Ogan, Armenia’s energy minister has confirmed that the Metsamor facility does not comply with European standards and could never be brought into compliance with these requirements.

He noted that the government of Turkey should take pre-emptive action to prevent potential nuclear disasters to be caused by the power plant, which is located just 16 km away from the country’s border with Armenia.

Reports have circulated in the last few days about radiation leaks from the Metsamor plant that are mainly affecting Turkey’s Igdir province.

Ogan said that the nuclear station is the cause of the increase in child mortality rates, cancer and other diseases, as well as mutation of cattle in the borderline regions.

"The current situation in Igdir must be thoroughly scrutinized and the outcomes of the scrutiny conveyed to the world community," Ogan added.

Metsamor generates about 40 percent of Armenia's electricity. The Armenian government reportedly plans to build a new facility in lieu of the Soviet-built plant in the coming years.