Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy in Turkey: Public Perception

Year 2017, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 01.08.2017

Emrah Akyüz

Abstract

Turkey intends to
build three nuclear power stations in the Akkuyu, Sinop
and Igneada regions to meet its increasing energy demands. This policy,
however, is still a highly controversial topic in Turkey as nuclear energy has
both advantages and disadvantages. The related literature on this topic is
divided into two groups; supporters claim that nuclear energy may decrease
Turkey's energy dependency on other countries, as it already imports
approximately 70% of its total energy demand. In contrast, opponents argue that
nuclear energy poses serious risks to the environment, which in turn can affect
human health and lives. This discussion is, however, held mainly by decision
makers, NGOs, the media and scholars. The related literature shows that we know
little about how the civil populace perceive the pros and cons of NPPs. In
order to fill in this gap, this research aims to explore citizens’ perceptions
of the advantages and disadvantages of NPPs through semi-structured interviews
with people local to the Akkuyu, Sinop and Igneada
regions. It concludes that people are well informed about pros and cons of
NPPs. They raise three main advantages including cheap electricity, low carbon
dioxide and reliability, and two disadvantages, including issues of nuclear
waste and the risk of accident.

Keywords

Energy Policy, Nuclear Energy, the Environment, renewable energy

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