Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy presented the icons stolen from the historical churches in Gökçeada in 2007 to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
According to the statement made by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the stolen cultural assets were delivered as an indicator of Turkey’s understanding of protectionism against cultural assets, regardless of language, religion and race.
A ceremony was held at the Çanakkale Troy Museum for the 12 delivered works.
The delivery ceremony, to be attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, took place today.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who took the floor at the ceremony, expressed his satisfaction for the delivery of the works. He thanked all the officials, especially the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. He expressed his great sadness when the works were stolen. He talked about the importance and sanctity of the delivered icons.
Speaking after the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy expressed his satisfaction with the recovery of cultural assets stolen in 2007 as a result of the work carried out. He talked about the work carried out to prevent the smuggling of cultural assets and thanked everyone who contributed.
After the ceremony, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy examined the artifacts and got information about the artifacts.
CULTURAL FEATURES PRESERVED SENSITIVELY IN THE MUSEUM
The artifacts seized in the case at the Gökçeada Criminal Court of First Instance regarding the theft that took place in historical churches in the Zeytinli, Eski Bademli and Dereköy neighborhoods of Gökçeada were preserved in the Çanakkale Archeology Museum.
Cultural assets, which were detected to be stolen from religious areas, including the Panayiya Kimisis Church, were seized in an operation carried out by the Eceabat District Gendarmerie Command in 2007.
The investigation into the incident was carried out by the Gökçeada Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the seized cultural assets were handed over to Çanakkale Archeology Museum as a trustee.
In the study initiated by the museum in the trustee’s warehouse under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the judicial process regarding the religious cultural assets, including the depictions of Jesus Christ and the saints, was followed by the Çanakkale Archeology Museum and Çanakkale Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, and it was learned that the court decision was finalized.
Cultural assets, mainly consisting of icons, were sensitively preserved in the Çanakkale Archeology Museum during their time in custody.
