NICOSIA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus said Thursday it was greatly worried over a nuclear plant situated in a quake-prone area on the south coast of Turkey.
"The decision to operate the nuclear plant so close to Cypriot shores raises concerns over possible effects...given the fact that Cyprus will be affected to a bigger extent than the largest part of Turkey itself," government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou told Cyprus New Agency.
A ceremony to launch the work on the nuclear power station took place on Tuesday.
The station is being built by Russian nuclear firm Rosatom at Akkuyu, near Mersin, only a few dozens of kilometers from the northern shores of Cyprus.
Prodromou said Turkey did not consult Cyprus over the building of the power plant following the EU's suggestions.
"Turkey ignored suggestions by the European Commission in its latest progress report to consult with the governments of neighboring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus," Prodromou said.
Turkey and the European Union (EU) are engaged in accession negotiations, which have been stalled for years.
