Switzerland and Turkey sign agreement on cultural property
Interior Minister Alain Berset and the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, have signed a bilateral agreement on the international transfer of cultural property. The agreement is intended to preserve both countries' cultural heritage.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ts
Español
es
Suiza y Turquía firman un acuerdo sobre bienes culturales
The agreement, signed in Ankara on Tuesday, covers archaeological objects dating from the prehistoric period to AD1500, which are particularly affected by unlawful excavations and illegal trade, the interior ministry said in a statementExternal link.
“The agreement regulates the legal requirements for importing cultural property into one of the two countries that are party to the treaty,” it said. “Furthermore, it sets out the modalities of repatriating unlawfully imported cultural property. Finally, the agreement regulates mutual reporting and promotes cooperation on fighting the illegal transfer of cultural property.”
The global trade in cultural property has grown significantly in recent decades. The legal art trade has increased, but so has the illegal transfer of cultural property, which causes serious and often irreversible damage to cultural heritage.
The government may conclude international treaties – bilateral agreements – on the import and repatriation of cultural property with countries that have ratified the 1970 UNESCO Convention. These agreements protect cultural and foreign affairs interests and secure cultural heritage. Switzerland has already concluded such agreements with Italy, Greece, Colombia, China, Egypt, Cyprus, Peru and Mexico.
More
More
Switzerland returns stolen artefacts to Italy
This content was published on
Switzerland is working closely with the Italian authorities to secure the return of stolen cultural treasures.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Switzerland returns pre-Columbian treasures to Peru
This content was published on
Switzerland has returned 48 pre-Colombian artefacts of ‘inestimable’ value to Peru that had been discovered at the Geneva free port facility.
Saving the spirit of communities through cultural heritage
This content was published on
Nine cities around the world, including Geneva, Mosul and Timbuktu, are now working together to protect cultural heritage.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.