Sunday, September 5, 2010

Turkish Environmental Minister to Archaeologists: The City You've Been Excavating Doesn't Exist

Yep, you read that right, in a case of doublespeak that would make even Karl Rove and the backers of the clueless teaparty constituents proud, the Environmental Minister told reporters that the ancient cit of Allianoi does not, in fact, that that it was created during the term of a former governor to promote a hot spring in the region.

This is, of course, to excuse the fact that despite losing 16 different court cases on various challenges to the government, it is going ahead with final phases of a damn construction which will flood the entire region, including the ancient city.

This guy makes Rove, Beck and Limbaugh look like truth-telling lambs by comparison. And we all know they are just pond scum who sold out to the highest bidders, telling outright filth and lies to their eager constitencies to advance the agenda of the corporate elite in this country. Such is life that such people now are considered "patriots." The founding fathers are rolling in their graves!

From the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review
Ancient city does not actually exist, says Turkish minister
Wednesday, September 1, 2010

INSTANBUL - Controversy over plans to bury an ancient city in western Turkey with sand ahead of a new dam project was overshadowed Wednesday by revelations from Turkey’s environment minister that the site did not, in fact, exist.

“There is no such place as Allianoi. It is just a hot spring that was recently restored called ‘Paşa Ilıcası,’” said Minister Veysel Eroğlu in response to a reporter’s question about the controversial plans to bury the ancient city, which is located near Bergama in the Aegean province of İzmir.

Eroğlu’s belief in the site’s non-existence, however, has been challenged by archaeologists and the Culture and Tourism Ministry, which describes Allianoi on its website as an ancient site that was noted for its health center.

“Veysel Eroğlu is not an archaeologist. What he said is really ridiculous,” Assistant Professor Ahmet Yaraş, head of the excavations, said Wednesday.

“Allianoi is the most protected hot spring in the world. Some 11,000 coins, around 400 metal artifacts, 400 bone artifacts, 800 ceramic artifacts and around 400 glass artifacts have been found during excavations,” said Yaraş, adding that only 20 percent of the city had been successfully excavated so far.

“We have found a sculpture of Asklepios, who was known as the god of health. Alliaoni has 400 surgical instruments, the highest number ever found, proving that the place was a hospital at the time,” he said.

Allianoi is just a fictional name, the minister said, adding that it had been restored by a former governor and constituted no more than an ordinary hot spring little different from other hot springs that can be observed throughout the country.

Rest of article.

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