Ambitious nuke plans revealed

Ambitious nuke plans revealed
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Driving the renewed interest in nuclear power in Turkey as elsewhere are skyrocketing natural gas and oil prices. While Turkey produces almost no oil, even some oil-producing countries have joined the march toward nuclear power

As part of Turkey's plans to develop its nuclear potential the Turkish Energy Ministry is moving toward plans to position the country as a regional center for uranium enrichment, sources revealed yesterday.

The plans come to light as Turkey prepares to issue its first public tender for construction of a nuclear plant and are prompted by the need to acquire and manage nuclear fuel. Turkey's interest in nuclear energy is drawing scrutiny from the United States and both U.S. and Turkish officials are in broad discussions on Turkey's plans to build nuclear energy power plants. While Turkey has not officially conveyed its plans to become a uranium enrichment center for the Americans, reliable sources told business daily Referans that Turkey's intentions will soon officially be on the U.S.-Turkish agenda. If U.S. authorities offer their support, sources said Turkey, already moving ahead with its plans to build nuclear power plants, might also become one of the most prominent nuclear energy and nuclear technology centers in the world.

The issue will be discussed at a nuclear energy meeting that will be held in Istanbul Friday. In addition to Tomihiro Taniguchi, the No. 2 at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), top-level officials from America, Russia, France and the United Kingdom will reportedly be attending the meeting.

Driving the renewed interest in nuclear power in Turkey as elsewhere are skyrocketing natural gas and oil prices. While Turkey produces almost no oil, even some oil-producing countries have joined the march toward nuclear power and begun negotiating with the United States, both for private contracts and public blessing of plans. U.S. President George W. Bush has tried to discourage the regional countries' demands for power plants during his ongoing Middle East tour. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, however, has been lobbying the same regional countries on his own recent visit that if the Americans don't want to help, his country will. (HH) Regional countries to buy nuclear energy from Turkey

The United States is seeking to become the regulator of the global nuclear fuel market through a mechanism called the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). But, a recent decision by the Vienna-based IAEA in support of the principle that every country has the right to have nuclear energy without being subjected to any discrimination has hampered U.S. plans. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a G8 summit in 2006 that all countries in the world have the right to own nuclear technology, and immediately after that, ordered the launch of uranium enrichment activity at a power plant in the Siberian city of Angarsk. Putin, later announcing that the activity in Angarsk would be carried out under control of the IAEA, has received the necessary support from the agency.

While France has moved forward with its own enrichment, it has now also moved to partner with South Africa, using it as a gateway to spread the nuclear bounty to Asia and Africa. Chaos over the future of nuclear regulation is the result. It is assumed that the United States, having noticed these recent developments, will move toward compromise and support the idea that a single authority on uranium enrichment should be formed within the framework of the IAEA. Current circumstances show that a new system of nuclear energy is about to be created in the world, and if Turkey benefits from this situation, it is, without a doubt, a candidate to become a nuclear energy center.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=93742