2023-09-25 17:35:00
Suspected of archaeological trafficking, Kim and Warre, two Belgians in their twenties, have been stuck in Turkey for several days following wanting to bring back some stones from their trip.
The couple from Deurne had just picked up three stones to decorate their aquarium, according to information from HLN. But nothing went as planned, as Kim and Warre can now no longer return home.
It was following their five-day vacation that Kim and Warre wanted to fly home. “We only had one shared suitcase,” Kim explains to our colleagues. “We were removed from the line because there was something wrong with this suitcase,” she adds.
But one of the three stones they had packed in their suitcase was causing problems. Sand colored, it looks like someone had carved a flower into it. The Turkish authorities therefore believed that the couple had stolen the stone from a museum, when it was just picked up on a vacant lot in Manavgat.
Read also The warning from Foreign Affairs following the mishap of a Belgian couple during their stay in Turkey: “Prison sentences of 10 to 20 years may be imposed”
“During their stay, they had innocently picked up a stone that they wanted to place in their aquarium,” explained one of their relatives. The couple was therefore unable to board! “They had to wait in a cell on a chair at the airport to be brought to justice. There too, they had to wait for hours,” adds the close source. A very annoying situation for the couple, now stuck.
Kim explains that they are suspected of “archaeological trafficking”. “I have to wait in Antalya and I’m not allowed to fly home. I have to wait for my trial,” Kim further testifies. She and Warre have no idea how soon they will be able to leave Turkey. They receive no indication from the authorities.
Bad news
This Monday, we learned that experts appointed by the Turkish authorities have delivered their opinion. According to them, one of the stones would indeed be an archaeological object, as reported by local media Arkeolojik Haber.
For Kim, who was contacted by HLN following this announcement, it is still too early to say. At least that’s what the Belgian couple’s lawyers think.
“It’s speculation. The expertise is not yet complete. According to our Turkish lawyers, it is still too early to conclude that it is an archaeological artifact,” she explains. As a reminder, she and Warre face up to 10 years in prison.
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