Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy in Turkey: Public Perception

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.