Starting from the late nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire adopted new bylaws regarding the protection of antiquities. These regulations remained effective until 1973 with minor changes in the successor state, Republic of Turkey. In the meantime, the first global attempt to protect cultural property is often considered as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Turkey ratified the Convention in 1981. Hence, Turkey intensified the pursuit of Anatolian cultural property which was systematically looted and trafficked for decades. The displacement and repatriation of cultural objects is a delicate topic. Since repatriation lawsuits are often exhaustive and the international legal framework is limited, many repatriation disputes are often settled out of court. In this context, the article examines the return cases of Sarcophagus of Heracles, and Zeugma Mosaics while encouraging responsible collecting practices.
Two Case Studies: Turkey’s Approach to Cultural Property Repatriations
LEVENT TOKUN
2020
Abstract
Starting from the late nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire adopted new bylaws regarding the protection of antiquities. These regulations remained effective until 1973 with minor changes in the successor state, Republic of Turkey. In the meantime, the first global attempt to protect cultural property is often considered as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Turkey ratified the Convention in 1981. Hence, Turkey intensified the pursuit of Anatolian cultural property which was systematically looted and trafficked for decades. The displacement and repatriation of cultural objects is a delicate topic. Since repatriation lawsuits are often exhaustive and the international legal framework is limited, many repatriation disputes are often settled out of court. In this context, the article examines the return cases of Sarcophagus of Heracles, and Zeugma Mosaics while encouraging responsible collecting practices.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
