Istanbul, May 31 (IANS) Turkey will apply optimum safety measures in its two biggest nuclear power plant projects, the authorities guaranteed at an international summit here Friday.

As the Soma coal mine accident, which killed 301 miners over two weeks ago, has sparked a debate over the safety of building nuclear power plants in Turkey, the topic has become the main theme of the first Istanbul Nuclear Power Plants Summit, Xinhua reported.

Though the authorities guaranteed the safety measures in Turkey’s nuclear power plant projects will be at world’s standard level, a number of people staged anti-nuclear demonstration outside of the conference venue.

“We have to find optimum mix to prevent any possible accident. The target should be zero risk, but with today’s technology this is not possible. Turkey has been taking all the world standard precautions,” said Hasan Murat Mercan, deputy minister of energy and natural resource.

Energy security should be the most important issue in front of politicians, while the government’s most important duty should be serving and securing energy to his citizens in a safe way, Mercan said.

Turkey has currently two nuclear power plants under construction. One is Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in the southern province of Mersin and the other to be built in the northern city of Sinop. Akkuyu plant’s installed capacity will be around 4,800 megawatts, while Sinop about 4,500 megawatts.

According to Mercan, some 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power capacity would be essential for Turkey.

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