NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus says it will lodge protests over the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant a few dozen kilometers from the east Mediterranean island nation.

Cyprus government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said Thursday that the country’s foreign ministry will spearhead protests over the plant’s future operation on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Prodromou said Turkey has ignored concerns expressed by many including the European Parliament. One worry raised is that the Akkuyu area, where the plant is to be built, is earthquake-prone.

He said Ankara also discounted studies about the plant’s possible environmental impact and failed to consult neighboring countries.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the start of construction of the Russian-built plant. The plant is expected to be completed by 2023.