Museum director dismissed over stolen Antalya church materials
Salim Uzun – ANTALYA
A museum director in the southern province of Antalya’s Demre district has been removed from her position following allegations that she illegally transferred materials from a church’s old roof system to her private villa construction site.
The Saint Nicholas Church in the ancient city of Myra, constructed above the burial place of the historical inspiration for Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, had a protective roof installed decades ago to shield it from sun and rain. However, in 2022, this structure was dismantled and replaced with a modern, lightweight alternative.
The old roof, made of steel, iron and plastic, was placed in storage under the Demre museum's supervision.
Over time, museum staff noticed that the stored materials were disappearing. Upon reviewing security camera footage, they discovered that Nilüfer Sezgin, the director of the museum, had transported these materials to an offsite location with the help of workers.
Further investigations revealed that the materials were being used for the construction of a villa on her privately owned land.
Once photographic and video evidence was gathered, the Culture and Tourism Ministry officials launched an investigation on the matter, swiftly suspending Sezgin from her duties.
Officials told daily Hürriyet that the inquiry is ongoing, with security footage and drone images supporting the allegations. “Our ministry's inspectors are looking into every facet of the procedure. The concerned staff member has already been fired. The inquiry will be completed as quickly as feasible.”
This is not the first controversy linked to Sezgin as reports suggest she purchased land in a first-degree archaeological protection zone and later had it reclassified to allow construction.
This incident prompted the ministry inspectors to open an investigation into the allegations, with the controversy over stolen roof materials following suit, raising serious questions over Sezgin’s potential legal violations.
