Belgian couple face travel ban over historical stones

Salim Uzun- ANTALYA

Turkish authorities have barred a Belgian tourist couple from leaving the country after customs officials at Antalya Airport found historical stones, which the couple claimed to have collected for decorative purposes, in their luggage.

Security personnel at the Antalya Airport noticed three stones in the luggage of Kim and Warre Mergits, who arrived at the airport following their vacation in the southern province of Antalya.

During a further search of the suitcase, the officers found three marble pieces wrapped first in plastic bags and then concealed among their clothes. The couple explained to the officers, "We found these by the seaside and while wandering in the vicinity. We intended to keep them as souvenirs and place them in our home aquarium."

As the Mergits were initially detained on suspicion of involvement in the smuggling of historical artifacts, the marble pieces were sent to the Antalya Museum Directorate for examination. It was determined that one ornate marble piece and two other marble fragments dated back to the Roman era, categorizing them as historical artifacts under the Cultural and Natural Assets Preservation Law, which meant they could not be taken out of the country.

The couple was released with judicial control but has been barred from leaving the country. Currently residing in Antalya, the two have portrayed the incident as an injustice to Belgian media outlets. Tearfully asserting their innocence, they have garnered media attention and social media posts critical of Türkiye have started circulating.

"One of the stones was the size of my hand, sandy in color, and featured two carved flowers. We found it in a back alley filled with rubbish. The other two stones were discovered on the beach. The place was teeming with these stones," Kim Mergits explained during an interview with a Belgian media outlet.

Campaigns have even started in their home country to cover the rent and expenses of the house they are currently renting in Antalya.

A Belgian daily reported that some tourists from the city of Antwerp, from which the Mergits hail, had previously been detained in Antalya on suspicion of historical artifact smuggling, leading to travel bans.

Brussels Times reported, "Some had to stay there for four to eight weeks and were sentenced to deferred prison terms ranging from one to five years, along with fines between 400 and 600 euros."

Due to the frequent troubles Belgian tourists have faced over collecting stones in Türkiye and placing them in their suitcases, the Belgian Foreign Ministry has recently issued a series of warnings to its citizens.