Cultural pillage in Anatolia during the occupation: Antiquities smuggling (1918-1922)

During the occupation in Ottoman territory following the Armistice of Mondros on 30 October 1918; the occupying forces were closely interested in antiquities, they carried out surveys and excavations, they smuggled the findings and also, they tried to give a meaning to and legitimize their existence in Anatolia through these artefacts. Although the bureaucracy, especially Imperial Museum tried to prevent the smuggling of artefacts, mostly no result has been achieved. Nevertheless, every single report was put in process and every problem was tried to be solved. In this thesis, the definitions of antiquities and smuggling, the nature of antiquities smuggling activity in Ottoman Empire and preventive measures were analyzed; beginning with the first ventures of museology, it was attempted to give an explanation to the legal regulations and other measures taken, particularly the practices in the occupation period. In the preparation phase of the thesis, researches were conducted in the archives of Istanbul Archaeological Museum -then Imperial Museum-, Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, Prime Ministry Republic Archives and Presidency of Republic of Türkiye Archives; the papers, magazines of the epoch and the records of witnesses were studied and this period was analyzed in the light of the previous related researches.