Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 30, 2006 12:05
Following the theft of the most valuable piece from the Treasure of Croesus show on display at the Usak Archeological Museum in Turkey, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Ankara has announced plans to tighten controls over museums across the country.
Ministry official Orhan Duzgun has said that inventories of pieces and works will begin immediately in 32 of the 95 museums across the country.
Usak museum director arrested
The renowned "Winged Sea Horse Brooch," considered the most precious article from the Treasures of Croesus exhibition, was found to have been replaced by a fake 5 months ago in the Usak museum of archeology. The operation that has ensued has resulted in the arrests of 9 people, including the director of the Usak Archeology Museum, Kazim Akbiyikoglu.
The "Winged Sea Horse Brooch," after having been replaced by a fake in Usak, was brought to Istanbul, where two unidentified people tried to sell it to collectors for 2 million dollars. It was then stolen from these two people, and police working on the case believe the golden brooch is still somewhere in Istanbul, although detailed photographs of the work have been sent to all border crossing points to help prevent it from departing the country.