Nordic Monitor | Security Concerns Are Raised by Russia's Installation of Radar And missile Systems Close To Crucial NATO Facilities in Turkey.
London, Friday, 18 November 2022
As part of an agreement to develop a 4,500 MW nuclear power plant in Turkey, Russia proposes to put radar and missile systems in a Turkish town that is around 280 miles from a crucial NATO radar facility. This has sparked outrage and security worries from the opposition.
"The establishment of an air defence system also entails the installation of a radar system. In other words, have you approved the development of a nuclear power plant from which we are unable to defend ourselves? During a debate in parliament on October 26, an opposition politician asked, "How and on what basis will the software for this system, which will be fully entrusted to the Russians?
The town of Akkuyu, located not far from Buyukeceli in the Gulnar district, is where Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation is constructing Turkey's first nuclear power plant under the name Sdal.
The accord was first signed as an intergovernmental agreement between the two nations in May 2010, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan made significant concessions to Russia by issuing hastily crafted decrees and rushing measures through parliament to appease the Kremlin.
It turned out that Russia would be installing a radar system nearby the plant and possibly deploying long-range missiles like S-400s on the pretext of providing security for the nuclear installation as the terms of the agreement became more clear with the construction of the plant.
Other than basic provisions on building Central Alarm Systems (MAI) for security in and around the power plant, neither the bilateral agreement nor the regulations implemented in Turkey since 2010 make explicit reference to the licence granted for such systems.
Radar or missile systems were also not mentioned in the comprehensive regulations on the security of nuclear installations and materials released by Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Authority (Nükleer Düzenleme Kurumu, NDK) on August 8, 2020.
In order to prevent the Turkish company under Russian control from moving forward with the construction as planned, a legal challenge was filed in a Turkish court after the issue was the subject of intense debate in the Turkish parliament.
(Source: Nordic Monitor // Edit and report by: The Decision Maker – International Relations editors)
(Picture by: Wikiwand)