Turkish officials denied the reports on an Israeli website that the country would make a ancient inscription brought to Turkey from East Jerusalem during the Ottoman period rule.
Friday, the Times of Israel website reported that Turkey had agreed to return the 2,700year-old Siloam inscription to Israel as a gesture during Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Ankara on first in years.
the artifact, currently in Istanbul Archaeological Museum, is considered one of the oldest and most important Hebrew inscriptions in existence.
Turkish diplomatic sources speaking to media the points of sales said the claim was “false.” Israeli media media said Tel Aviv had repeatedly demanded the return of the artifact in the past but had always been rejected, including once in 2017, when then culture minister Miri Regev offered “two elephants” for a turkish zoo in to return to for registration.
Diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday this East Jerusalem, where the inscription was found in 1880, was part of Ottoman territories back so and that’s currently a part of Palestinian Territories; so it was out of the question of returning it to Israel, a third country in Turkey view. Israel disagrees with the Palestinian administration over Control of East Jerusalem and the decision of the United States and many others countries for move their embassies in Jerusalem, in a move to recognize it as the capital of Israel, which prompted up outcry in Turkey.
The inscription is a text recording the work build a tunnel between the Pool of Siloam and the city of David during the reign of King Hezekiah, a ruler of Jerusalem according to the Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible. An important artifact for archeology in the region including Israel, the inscription was brought to Müze-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum – the predecessor of Istanbul Archaeological Museum). It was recorded as property of the Ottoman Empire and by virtue of the legal status belongs to the Republic of Turkey.
