Nuclear Regulation Law numbered 7381, published in Official Gazette dated 8 March 2022 and numbered 31772 and entered into force, determines the authority and responsibilities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and its legal responsibility for nuclear damages.
With the Nuclear Regulation Law that came into force,
- Radioactive wastes generated during an activity carried out outside Turkey’s jurisdiction will not be possible to be brought into Turkey’s borders.
- Those who carry out unauthorized and unlicensed nuclear activities can be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 to 8 years and fined up to TRY 136 million.
- Persons who produce radioactive waste during an activity subject to authorization will pay separate contributions to the special account of radioactive waste management, and persons authorized to operate nuclear facilities, radiation facilities and radioactive waste facilities will pay separate contributions to the special accounts of decommissioning.
- Operators shall take out appropriate insurance or provide other coverage for each nuclear facility or transport activity. A nuclear insurance pool will be established in order to provide insurance for the specified obligations of the operator.
- The facility operator will be held responsible for nuclear damages and compensation, regardless of whether he / she, his / her personnel, and those who provide technology, goods and services related to the facility have any fault in the occurrence of the nuclear incident.
- Revocation, suspension or restriction of the operator’s authorization from the institution will not relieve the operator of its responsibilities under this section.
- In the event that the operator proves that the nuclear incident causing the nuclear damage was caused by the willful or gross negligence of the nuclear damaged person, the operator may only be relieved of partial or total liability against this person who suffered the nuclear damage by the decision of the competent court. In the implementation of this section, more than one nuclear facility operated by an operator at the same site will be considered as a single facility.
- In cases where Turkish courts have jurisdiction over a nuclear incident in Turkey’s sovereignty, only courts of the Republic of Turkey will be authorized.
- People who manufacture nuclear or radiological weapons, possess, use, expand their use or trade in radioactive materials for this purpose shall be sentenced to imprisonment from 25 to 30 years.
You can see the full text of the law via this link. (Only available in Turkish)
