The role of political parties in the public perception of nuclear energy

Abstract

Discussions about nuclear energy in Türkiye are held in the shadow of the political polarization between the People's Alliance and the Nation's Alliance. However, there are no comprehensive studies that have investigated how political polarization affects the social acceptance of nuclear energy. To investigate these effects, face-to-face interviews (n=52) were conducted with people living around the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The study found two main results: first, the most important factor affecting the social acceptance of nuclear energy is the nuclear energy policies of the political parties they vote for; and second, those who vote for the People's Alliance, which advocates nuclear energy, have a high benefit perception, while those who vote for the Nation's Alliance, which opposes nuclear energy, have a high risk perception. The article concludes that Turkish nuclear energy policy is a highly political issue rather than just a strictly environmental one.