An archeological museum housing three thousand year old heritage who have been left under construction over 20 years is going to be turned into a police station by local authorities. The Kyme Archeology Museum featuring thirty thousand boxes of small and large artifacts in the province of İzmir’s Aliağa district has been planned recently to be designated for housing Aliağa’s new central police station.
By the common consent of Aliağa District Governorship and Turkish opposition Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) Mayor Serkan Acar, Aliağa Central Police Station located under the governorship’s office is going to be moved into the building of the museum.
Speaking to now-closed pro-Kurdish Dihaber news agency, Natural and Cultural Life Initiative spokesman Tuncay Karaçorlu said, “The museum had not been restored for many years and it had not been opened to the public. It had been left to decay by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and at this stage the officials want to construct a police station in the place of the archeology museum.”
Speaking of plundering the cultural heritage of denizens of İzmir and Aliağa district by local authorities, Karaçorlu said that “We [as the National and Cultural Initiative] call on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism one more time. A three thousand year old heritage of humankind cannot be demolished. Officials should abandon their plans in no time.”
Karaçorlu also stated that if there is such a necessity to construct another police station, then another area within the boundaries of the district can be designated. He stressed that it is a criminal offense against both of international and domestic law as it is clearly stated by the law of Common Cultural Property. “The museum should be repaired and those artifacts should be exhibited as bringing this place into service,” said Karaçorlu.
The construction of the museum began in the years of 1990 by the efforts of then-Mayor of Aliağa district and Italian archeologist Sebastiana Lagona, however it was not finished despite the fact that over 20 years passed.
