ANKARA - The Foreign Ministry said on Friday that measures were taken to prevent French aircraft carrier ship Clemenceau which contained asbestos from entering into Turkey for disassembling.
A statement of the Foreign Ministry said that import of wastes containing asbestos which were among hazardous wastes to Turkey was banned within the terms of Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
The statement noted that Turkey contributed to concerned organizations in case ships brought to Turkey for disassembly contained asbestos or similar hazardous wastes and prevented entrance of such ships in Turkey.
The Clemenceau was evaluated within the same framework, the statement pointed out.
The statement said that concerned authorities had taken necessary measures to prevent entrance of the mentioned ship containing asbestos in Turkey.
The mentioned aircraft carrier ship which was disarmed in France in 1997 was decided to be disassembled by Spanish and Turkish companies at the end of some tenders.
The ship was stopped by French Naval Forces off Sicily en route to Turkey on October 18, saying that ''the tender was cancelled.''
The French Defense Ministry had claimed that the tender was given to German and Greek companies claming that labor and working conditions in Turkey ''did not comply with international standards'' and ''necessary environmental measures'' had not been taken.
The Clemenceau, which was 265 meters in length, 62 meters in height and 33 thousand tons in weight, started to be operational in 1961. It was the first aircraft carrier ship of France.
(BRC-AÖ) 31.10.2003