CHP proposes a resource for the renovation of damaged cultural heritages

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul Deputy Mehmet Akif Hamzacebi, CHP Elazig Deputy Gursel Erol, and CHP Ankara Deputy Nihat Yesil prepared a report, which contains determinations and proposals to rapidly restore the damaged immovable cultural heritages in the quake-hit region and reintroduce them to the cultural life. The legislation and what needs to be done in practice were collected under the two separate titles. The report said a legislative amendment is needed for the government to restore privately owned cultural heritages. A substantial part of the cultural heritages which were damaged by the earthquake are in public ownership, but some of them are privately owned, especially in Antakya, according to the report. It proposed the establishment of a Scientific Committee under the umbrella of the Culture and Tourism Ministry for the restoration of the immovable cultural heritages in the quake-hit region, and the establishment of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in provinces where needed. A new resource proposal was also included in the report. A certain part of the income from the real estate taxes in the budget of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, revenues from museums and ruins, revenues from the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), the National Lottery, horse races, games of chance and traffic fines, and a certain part of the revenues to be made to the provinces affected by the earthquake were recommended as new resources for restoration. It was also proposed to allocate the VAT revenue from flight tickets for the quake-hit regions to the repair and restoration of immovable cultural properties.