An anti- nuclear action made part of a rally to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday, April 26, the anti nuclear action day. Greek and Turkish Cypriots activists gathering and holding lighted candles formed a human chain across the United Nations controlled buffer zone to signify their joint opposition to "dangerous" nuclear power whose risks they say outweigh its benefits.

They also voiced their concern over Turkey's plans to build a nuclear power plant on its southern coast, some 90 kilometers away from Cyprus' northern coastline. Citing Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant disaster, activists say construction of such a plant is foolhardy because the site, Akkuyu Bay, is situated "very close to a dangerous seismic fault line”.

The action was supported by a big range of parties and organizations to speak at one voice against the nuclear: The Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL), New Cyprus Party (YKP), Cyprus Green Party, United Cyprus Party (BKP), EDON, KTÖS, KTOEÖS, KTAMS, DAÜ-BİR-SEN, BES, ÇAĞ-SEN, Turkish Cypriot Association for Democracy (UK), T/C The Chamber of Electrical Engineers (EMO), T/C Chamber of Industrial Engineers (ENMO), T/C Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (MMO), T/C Chamber of Environmental Engineers (ÇMO), Friends of Nature and the Green Action Group.

Humanity is watching with great concern Japan’s tragedy, which is suffering from the consequences of the terrible earthquake that took place on Friday, March 11, the tsunami caused and the resulting havoc.

Humanity is becoming conscious in a dramatic way that the much advertised safety of the nuclear plants in highly questionable.

The nuclear accident in Japan creates a global outcry against the nuclear projects of many countries. One of these countries is Turkey, which plans to build a nuclear station near Akkuyu, which is a highly seismic area, off the coast of Cyprus.

Radiation from the normal operation of the plant as well as any serious leak as a result of an accident will demolish the quality of life of the nearby living beings, including humans. This Eastern Mediterranean basin is a huge and interconnected ecosystem. In the instance of a radiation leak, this will harm tens of kilometers around the nuclear plants.

The Chernobyl accident which occurred 25 years ago, is still creating problems to people and the environment all around the Black Sea basin; thousands are dead, thousands of still born cases with various diseases due to radiation released to the atmosphere, forbid the repetition of the same error. The nuclear danger that Japan is facing today can relate to many parts of the world and particularly Akkuyu, which is located very close to a dangerous fault line.

Nuclear waste by itself is an environmental disaster that will last for centuries and no one can claim that there is a safe way of its disposal, since the danger of leak is always there. The cost of the disposal of nuclear waste is very high and this negates the theory that nuclear power is a cheap source of energy. This cost or the cost of environmental impact is not calculated. We honestly wonder: which area wishes to keep nuclear waste for some tens of thousands of years buried in their land?

The protection of life and the environment is above the profit of the big business involved in the expansion of the nuclear industry, especially in the last decade. Our future is inextricably linked with the development of renewable energy and energy conservation.