Lock on Antalya's memory

Ebrar OZDEMIR

Less than 24 hours after the announcement, the Antalya Museum was closed to visitors. The ministry announced that it would be demolished and rebuilt due to earthquake risks. Locals continued their outrage yesterday.

The Antalya Museum, which bears traces of thousands of years of history, was closed to visitors less than 24 hours after the announcement. Visitors who arrived uninformed about the development were stunned. Birol İnceciköz, General Director of Museums at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, announced that the museum building would be demolished and rebuilt on the grounds that it was earthquake-resistant.

However, the locals continued their protests yesterday, which they had begun the day before, in response to this decision. The people of Antalya are concerned that the process is proceeding behind closed doors. Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Hilmi Uysal, a member of the "Museum Working Group" formed to counter this, said, "The announcement that the museum would be closed on July 16th was made the day before. This alone demonstrates how irrational and wrong these actions are. A Minister of Culture from Antalya is challenging Antalya."

Poet Şükrü Erbaş, who participated in the protests, said, "We all remember the Taliban destroying Buddha statues with dynamite in 2021. What we are witnessing here today is a similar dismantling of cultural heritage, under a different guise. Moreover, it's clear that an extraordinary profiteering mechanism is operating behind closed doors."

“IF NECESSARY, WE WILL BUILD A WALL OF FLESH”

Erol Malçok also reacted to the decision, saying, "If this country's Minister of Culture is going to engage in the destruction of cultural assets instead of protecting them, it's better for him to resign. Everything was handled so secretly, so hastily... But let's not let this drive us to despair. If necessary, we will throw ourselves in front of those machines."

MUSEUMS CLOSED FOR YEARS

Those protesting the decision stated that they were also concerned about the future of the museum's artifacts and argued that the museum's inventory should be open to the public, saying, "Museums that have been closed for various reasons have not been able to open for years. The Anamur Museum has not been able to welcome visitors since 2012, the Isparta Museum since 2014, and the Elazığ Museum since 2016. We are concerned that a similar situation will occur in Antalya." The reactions in Antalya were not limited to the streets. A citizen who learned about the museum's closure from the press filed a lawsuit with the Antalya Administrative Court on Duty, requesting the annulment of the decision and a stay of execution.

Cultural memory is being erased

The SOL Party Antalya Provincial Organization also issued a statement emphasizing that "demolition is not modernity," calling for the process to be halted. Provincial Spokesperson İdris Emektar said, "This structure was designed through an architectural competition and has served Antalya for years with its unique design. Opposing this demolition is a city responsibility. Cities have identities based on the connection they establish with their past. As socialists, we oppose the mentality that erases cultural memory and sacrifices the past to market projects."