Russian energy exec: "What happened in Fukushima won't happen in Turkey"

The nuclear reactor planned for southeast Turkey will use the latest technology, the top Russian executive responsible for building the plant in Mersin's Akkuyu district said Wednesday, dismissing concerns raised amid Japan's nuclear disaster. "In Akkuyu, we will build a WWER-type plant using MPP2006 technology. This is a next generation nuclear power reactor designed and developed by Russia," Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Co. CEO Alexander Superfin said on the sidelines of the 14th Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul. Anti-nuclear groups in Turkey argue that Akkuyu will be built dangerously close to an active fault line. Responding to such concerns, Superfin said: "If our surveys show that seismic conditions aren't right for a power plant, we will take all necessary precautions. Our findings will be made public." According to Superfin, previous surveys showed that Akkuyu is one of the best locations in Turkey for a nuclear power plant. This month Russian engineers are scheduled to do a fresh survey, he added.