Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that they will establish a Disaster Area Excavation Department to save valuable cultural assets from the wreckage of registered buildings.
Ersoy, in his statement after the "Scientific Advisory Board Meeting for the Protection of Hatay Cultural Heritage" held at the Hatay Archeology Museum, said that they carried out an investigation on historical and cultural structures in the city after the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş last week.
Ersoy stated that as the Ministry, they started a rapid study from the first moment on the determination of the damage to the cultural properties in 11 provinces, and continued as follows:
“Our team of 502 people, affiliated to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, continues to work intensively. At the same time, 38 teams and a separate team of 77 people affiliated to our General Directorate of Foundations continue to make determinations about foundation properties. As part of the field studies, protection plates have been installed to ensure that all registered cultural properties are separated from other structures, regardless of whether they are public or private, and protection tapes continue to be drawn in places we can reach.”
Ersoy stated that they held the first meeting of the Hatay Cultural Heritage Preservation Scientific Advisory Board and said, “We will invite universities that will provide support in the areas they are competent in line with the decisions we have taken. If every university wants to work voluntarily in the areas in which it is competent, we want to create a working environment for them.” he said.
“Many buildings were damaged, demolished”
Stating that work will be done on the cultural assets that can be saved, Minister Ersoy said:
“Many buildings were damaged and demolished. We have valuable cultural assets that can be salvaged in the wreckage of registered structures. In the first place, we quickly establish the Disaster Area Excavation Department. This presidency and its teams will consist of those who are experts in this business. We will extract and protect the values that can be salvaged from the wreckage of the destroyed registered assets, our cultural assets. This is the first thing we should do. Later, at some points, the debris blocks the roads, and the debris will be pulled back in a controlled manner so that the roads are opened. Among these debris are building materials that we can use in reconstruction and restoration later. We also have a process to save them and take them to healthy environments. We will carry out this process with these teams.”
“We will establish a joint operation center in Hatay”
Minister Ersoy emphasized that the roadmap and basic principles to be implemented will be determined at the board meetings and said, “In line with the decisions we have taken, we will establish a joint operation center in Hatay with the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the General Directorate of Foundations. Members of our Scientific Advisory Board will also gather at this operation center. I see this as important for us to make quick decisions and act.” made its assessment.
“We will write a new roadmap and story together in this region”
Stating that there will be work in the areas that need to be excavated, Ersoy said:
“Hatay, Antakya has a multi-layered archaeological potential. Therefore, there are not only registered structures, but also archaeological structures and findings. We, with our Scientific Advisory Board, will actually write a new roadmap and story together in this region. While we are working on the salvage of the registered assets that need to be saved first, we will write a new story of this place together by starting the excavation works in the newly opened areas that need to be excavated, as well as the rapid restoration and reconstruction of the registered structures, aside from the removal of the correct, historical and cultural rubble from the wreckage. We all have the necessary desire and determination in this regard. What makes us most happy is that our expert friends and teachers are also very willing and volunteer. Apart from our professors, if our universities want to contribute in line with their competencies, our door is open to them. We will create the necessary working environment for them together.”
Ersoy emphasized that the process will be carried out transparently and stated that they will make the necessary press releases and information after the meetings.