Istanbul, 6 August (HNA) – On the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Anti-Nuclear Platform (ANP) emphasised that the nuclear threat is not limited to weapons alone, and that, in the shadow of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters and the war in Ukraine, the fact that nuclear facilities have become targets demonstrates that nuclear technology is not safe under any circumstances.
In a statement issued by the ANP, it was noted that Turkey continues to persist with its nuclear energy policies through the Akkuyu, Sinop and İğneada projects, and demanded that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, be signed by the government without delay; that US-NATO nuclear weapons in our country be removed immediately; and that the Akkuyu, Sinop and İğneada projects be halted:
“Today, thousands of nuclear weapons continue to exist in the world, whilst wars, regional conflicts and the arms race are taking on an ever more dangerous dimension with each passing day. An international climate in which the use of nuclear weapons can be openly discussed threatens not only certain countries, but all of humanity, nature, our living spaces and our common heritage. The very existence of nuclear weapons constitutes a global security issue in its own right.”
The statement emphasised that nuclear power stations pose serious risks in both times of war and peace, noting that “the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters are the most concrete examples of this. The fact that nuclear facilities have become targets in the shadow of the war in Ukraine today has once again demonstrated that nuclear technology is not safe under any circumstances. Similarly, the recent military tensions between Iran and Israel, in which the US was also directly involved, have brought the consequences of targeting nuclear facilities back onto the global agenda. “The fact that nuclear facilities have become military targets in wartime has once again demonstrated that nuclear technology poses a common threat not only to the countries where it is operated but also to the peoples of the entire region, due to its cross-border consequences,” it was stated, and added:
“Turkey, however, continues to persist with its nuclear energy policies despite all these developments. Whilst efforts are being made to bring the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station into operation, the process underway in Sinop and new nuclear power station projects for İğneada remain on the agenda. Moreover, the Metsamor Nuclear Power Station in Armenia, situated just 16 kilometres from our border, continues to pose a significant risk to the peoples of the region due to its ageing infrastructure.”
In the statement, which emphasised that nuclear energy policies are not merely a technological choice but also a political choice concerning how public resources are to be used, in whose interests the energy system is to be shaped, and how the future is to be built, “The fact that nuclear investments are supported by various incentives, VAT exemptions and privileges is an indication that public resources continue to be used in accordance with the profit objectives of the market, without regard for the public interest, whilst all risks and damages are shifted onto the public.
Energy is a public right that must be planned with due regard for the common needs of society and the right to life of future generations,” it was stated.
The statement emphasised that, in a world facing climate change, the loss of biodiversity and deepening inequalities, the solution does not lie in further armament, more nuclear power stations or new security barriers, adding: “The solution lies in establishing a democratic social order that is in harmony with nature, where people live in peace and energy is planned in the public interest,” and continued:
“This year, whilst the world is preparing for COP31, to be held in Antalya in November, in the search for a solution to ‘climate change’, nuclear energy is once again being marketed as a ‘climate solution’. Yet it is impossible to view climate change, wars and ecological destruction as separate issues. In a world where resources allocated to armaments are increasing, and energy policies are shaped in line with corporate interests, there can be no talk of a life in harmony with nature, nor of lasting peace.
“The most powerful call rising from Hiroshima and Nagasaki is to stand on the side of life. The number of surviving Hibakusha is dwindling with each passing year, yet their testimonies do not merely recount the pains of the past; they constitute a collective call of conscience, proclaiming to humanity that nuclear weapons and nuclear war are unacceptable under any circumstances. We, too, embrace this call and add: keeping the memory of Hiroshima alive is not merely about commemorating the past, but about defending the future and life itself.”
To support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and ensure its adoption by all countries of the world, the ‘Cities’ Appeal’ movement, established by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN – International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), alongside thousands of cities worldwide that are members of the ‘Cities’ Appeal’ movement, the statement emphasised that the municipalities of Fındıklı, followed by Sinop and Gerze, have joined the campaign through council resolutions, setting an example for cities in Turkey and around the world. The statement continued:
“On the anniversary of the Hiroshima disaster, we once again call upon all local authorities in our country to join this campaign.
“A future is possible not in the shadow of nuclear weapons, but one in which peoples live in equality and peace, and in which nature is seen not as an object of exploitation but as the common ground of life. To this end, we will continue to fight, to strengthen solidarity and to raise our anti-nuclear voice.
“The struggle waged by the Anti-Nuclear Platform, which draws on half a century of social experience in Turkey, is not merely directed against a technology, but against approaches that expose life, nature and the future to irreversible risks. Today, too, we continue to stand with the same determination on the side of science, the public interest and the right to life.
“On the 81st anniversary of Hiroshima, we reiterate once again: Nuclear weapons must be completely abolished. US-NATO nuclear weapons must be removed from our country immediately. Treaties banning nuclear weapons must be fully implemented, and all states must participate in this process. Turkey must sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons without delay.
“Turkey must abandon its nuclear energy policies; the Akkuyu, Sinop and İğneada projects must be halted. The struggle for peace, life and an ecological future must be intensified.”