Syria’s Ministry of Culture has stepped up measures to protect Syrian antiquities from theft and vandalism by armed terrorist groups, minister Issam Khalil said.
During a meeting with Egyptian reporters, Khalil added that resolution No. 2199 issued by the Security Council on protecting cultural heritage in Syria fell flat with regional and Western countries, as Turkish intelligence continues to loot and smuggle Syrian artefacts from the country in coordination with the Islamic State terrorist organization.
Support for the protection of antiquities, which is supposed to be offered by international organizations, is denied by Western countries as they do not want any party to play a role in helping the Syrians to overcome the effects of war, the minister said.
Khalil affirmed that the Ministry of Culture is in possession of all documents that confirm Syria’s ownership of the stolen antiquities.
