[MSN] Turkey. Koç: I won't be surprised if all 32 museums have missing artifacts. The tourism minister initiates investigations into all 32 museums under his control but admits if these probes reveal that each is missing artifacts, he wouldn't be surprised.

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Koç: I won't be surprised if all 32 museums have missing artifacts
Friday, June 9, 2006


The tourism minister initiates investigations into all 32 museums under his
control but admits if these probes reveal that each is missing artifacts, he
wouldn't be surprised 

NEJAT BAŞAR & FATMA DEMİRELLİ

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News


  Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç said on Thursday that he had
ordered an investigation of all artifacts in the 32 museums under his
jurisdiction but noted that he would not be surprised if every one of them
reported missing pieces. 

  Speaking to the Turkish Daily News in an exclusive interview, Koç said
yesterday he hoped there would be no more cases of missing artifacts in
state museums. 

  Last week an investigation led to the detention of nine individuals on
suspicion of involvement in the theft and replacement by fakes of pieces
from the Karun Treasure on display at the Uşak Archeology Museum. The
investigation started when officials received an anonymous letter five
months ago claiming that the golden seahorse brooch, one of the most
precious pieces of the 450-piece Karun Treasure, had been replaced with a
fake, causing the Culture and Tourism Ministry to launch an investigation. 

  Turkish newspapers reported on Wednesday that 545 coins dating to the time
of Persian Emperor Mazaios (361 to 333 B.C) had gone missing from the
Kahramanmaraş Museum. It was reported that in 1998 the museum director was
absent and that the coins were given to a repository clerk for a period of
seven months for safekeeping. 

  Koç was careful not to blame the culture ministers who came before him for
the scandalous incidents of theft from state museums. 

  "I would prefer to act with caution. I also don't like gossiping. I don't
want to talk about the previous ministers. I served as a governor. Each
governor talks about those that came before him. The new one talks about the
old ones. They are both telling the truth." 

  However, Koç also said the tip-offs he had received about the museums had
been sent in the past but were never followed up on. 

'If means had been available, such things would not have happened' 

  Koç said the opportunities afforded previous ministers were limited by
inadequate funding and their relatively short period of time in office since
they were usually members of coalition governments. In addition they were
forced to spend most of their time in bureaucratic battles within the
government and in their own parties. 

  "In those days such matters were not very useful," said Koç, adding that
partisan behavior, such as building loss-making theaters in small towns, was
seen as more beneficial for one's political career. "But what can I do? This
is my character. I say the same thing to my children. Please don't lie. If
no one lies, the system itself can resolve such problems. If people lie, the
system will ruin itself. That's why when I receive such tip-offs, I follow
them up." 

  He also noted that if these ministers had been provided the means, they
could have done more. 

  He said that before he had become culture and tourism minister, the money
allocated to excavations had been scarce. "What can you do with that much
money? It may be enough for tea or coffee. Last year I spent YTL 8 million.
I had the ability to spend YTL 8 million. Ministers who came before me
didn't. Why should I blame them? In certain matters, if you don't have the
funds, efforts just lead to exhaustion." 

  On a different note Koç said they would be investing over YTL 70 million
in Topkapı Palace. "However, I would like to repeat that in order to invest
this YTL 70 million, you need to have the means. With the laws we passed, we
can allocate money to such investments. We can find sponsors. One needs to
see these things as a whole. We have no right to say anything to a culture
minister who has no such funding."  

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/