By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
A Turkish official has reignited the longstanding debate over the Parthenon Marbles, questioning the legitimacy of Britain's claim that it legally acquired the ancient sculptures from Athens. The British Museum maintains that Lord Elgin, Britain's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, legally removed the sculptures based on an imperial edict, or ‘firman’, from Ottoman authorities.
However, Zeynep Boz, head of the Turkish Culture Ministry’s anti smuggling committee, stated that no such document has been found in the Ottoman archives. As the successor to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey would possess any archived documents related to legal sales from that era. Boz noted that extensive searches by historians have yielded no evidence of the firman, and the only known document referencing it is an unsigned, unstamped, Italian translation lacking official authentication.
Boz felt compelled to address this issue at a recent UNESCO meeting, countering a British participant's assertion of the marbles' legal acquisition. She emphasized that silence would imply acceptance of the British claim, thus necessitating her intervention to declare the absence of such a document in the Turkish archives.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni supported Boz's remarks, asserting that they reinforce Greece’s longstanding argument that no firman authorized Elgin’s removal of the sculptures. Mendoni highlighted that Greece remains open to dialogue and continues to seek the return of the marbles, for which a place is reserved in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
In response, the British Museum expressed interest in finding innovative solutions to resolve the dispute. Acknowledging Greece's strong desire for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, the museum suggested exploring a ‘Parthenon partnership’ to foster a new relationship with Greece.
This partnership aims to deepen understanding and appreciation of the sculptures while potentially showcasing them in both Athens and London. The British Museum, bound by legal restrictions from permanently returning the marbles, has engaged in discussions with Greek officials to explore possible compromises.