What If It Leaks?

The Turkish Law Perspective On Third Party Civil Liability In Nuclear Accidents

As Turkey embarks on the path to becoming a nuclear energy nation with the start of the pre-construction preparations of the nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, Mersin by the Russian Rosatom¹, the discussions on safety related issues are far from settled. The debate once again flared up in the wake of the unfortunate radiation leak on the Fukushima nuclear power plant following the devastating earthquake and the tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011. As the world revisits the significance of safety measures in nuclear power plants and the adequacy of third party civil liability regulations in nuclear accidents, Turkey, too opens the gateway for national legislation further to the existing rules of international treaties. From that perspective, this article looks into the application of the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy² (the "Paris Convention") in Turkey