The conference titled “Artifacts of Captive Cities: Antiquities Smuggling during the Occupation of Anatolia (1918–1923),” organized by the History Society of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, was held with strong participation and great interest.
The program featured Dr. Yahya Coşkun, Vice President of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), as the keynote speaker. Among the attendees were Vice Rector and Dean Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Tutar, Head of the Department of History Prof. Dr. Kenan Olgun, as well as faculty members and students of our department. During the event, the threats faced by Anatolia’s cultural heritage during the years of occupation, the activities of antiquities smuggling, and the historical background of this process were discussed within an academic framework.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Yahya Coşkun for his valuable contributions and scholarly insights. We also wish to emphasize that this event made a significant contribution to the academic enrichment of our department and to the scientific development of our students. With the hope of ensuring the continuity of such scholarly activities, we look forward to coming together again in similar programs in the future.
