Tweet
HISTORICAL TEXTS IN TURKEY'S NATIONAL LIBRARY SOLD FOR PAPER VALUE
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
dec 10 2013
ISTANBUL - Hurriyet
More than 140 tons of historical texts were sold to second-hand
booksellers for their paper value by Turkey's National Library. The
historical pieces were bought by booksellers and collectors, who then
allegedly sold the texts to auctioneers at high prices
DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SONMEZ
Many historical books and texts in the inventory of the National
Library of Turkey were sold to second-hand booksellers for lower
prices and were later bought by collectors.
Around 147 tons of historical texts, including books and magazines
of which there are no records, were sold to second hand booksellers
by the National Library for between 15 and 50 kuruĊ~_ per kilogram.
Second hand booksellers and collectors bought the historical texts
for around 15 to 50 kuruĊ~_ per kilogram and priced and sold them to
auctioneers at higher prices.
Culture and Tourism Minister Omer Celik said they would clamp down
on the corruption in the National Library on Dec. 7 via his Twitter
account.
"We have detected some criminal and corrupted practices over many
works in the National Library," said Celik in his first tweet over
the corruption in the library.
"The National Library is the memory of the national culture and is
the institution that bridges us with the international culture. It
should be protected cautiously. It will be protected determinedly,"
Celik also tweeted.
Negligence
"It seems that the neglect in [the library] has links to some interests
groups outside [the library]. We will crack down on these," Celik
added via his twitter account.
The corruption was first detected during a meeting of the library when
it was realized that a historical book with the National Library's
stamp was sold to the Konya manuscript department.
Around 102 tons of historical books which were not listed or classified
were sent to the waste department in 2007 with 11 trucks.
Also another 45 tons of books were sent to the waste house with a
notice saying that these depots were needed urgently and should be
evacuated. The waste house has opened auctions for these books at
different times and sold them from 15 to 50 kuruĊ~_.
It is possible to find books with stamps of the National Library
in Ankara's second-hand booksellers which are sold for between 400
and 1000 Turkish Liras. The daily Hurriyet found two books written
in Armenian in 1860 and 1800, and Greek-language Pontus magazine
published in Merzifon in 1913.
December/10/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/historical-texts-in-turkeys-national-library-sold-for-paper-value.aspx?pageID=238&nID=59305&NewsCatID=341
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
dec 10 2013
ISTANBUL - Hurriyet
More than 140 tons of historical texts were sold to second-hand
booksellers for their paper value by Turkey's National Library. The
historical pieces were bought by booksellers and collectors, who then
allegedly sold the texts to auctioneers at high prices
DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SONMEZ
Many historical books and texts in the inventory of the National
Library of Turkey were sold to second-hand booksellers for lower
prices and were later bought by collectors.
Around 147 tons of historical texts, including books and magazines
of which there are no records, were sold to second hand booksellers
by the National Library for between 15 and 50 kuruĊ~_ per kilogram.
Second hand booksellers and collectors bought the historical texts
for around 15 to 50 kuruĊ~_ per kilogram and priced and sold them to
auctioneers at higher prices.
Culture and Tourism Minister Omer Celik said they would clamp down
on the corruption in the National Library on Dec. 7 via his Twitter
account.
"We have detected some criminal and corrupted practices over many
works in the National Library," said Celik in his first tweet over
the corruption in the library.
"The National Library is the memory of the national culture and is
the institution that bridges us with the international culture. It
should be protected cautiously. It will be protected determinedly,"
Celik also tweeted.
Negligence
"It seems that the neglect in [the library] has links to some interests
groups outside [the library]. We will crack down on these," Celik
added via his twitter account.
The corruption was first detected during a meeting of the library when
it was realized that a historical book with the National Library's
stamp was sold to the Konya manuscript department.
Around 102 tons of historical books which were not listed or classified
were sent to the waste department in 2007 with 11 trucks.
Also another 45 tons of books were sent to the waste house with a
notice saying that these depots were needed urgently and should be
evacuated. The waste house has opened auctions for these books at
different times and sold them from 15 to 50 kuruĊ~_.
It is possible to find books with stamps of the National Library
in Ankara's second-hand booksellers which are sold for between 400
and 1000 Turkish Liras. The daily Hurriyet found two books written
in Armenian in 1860 and 1800, and Greek-language Pontus magazine
published in Merzifon in 1913.
December/10/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/historical-texts-in-turkeys-national-library-sold-for-paper-value.aspx?pageID=238&nID=59305&NewsCatID=341