1043) Stone Pit Crisis At The Armenian Border

Milliyet yesterday reported on the threat posed by a stone quarry on the Armenian side of the Turkish-Armenian border to historic ruins on the Turkish side. Armenia has abandoned the practice of using dynamite to extract stone, due to warnings from Turkey; however, Armenia continues to extract stone using mechanical methods. The vibrations caused by heavy equipment is inflicting damage to the ancient Ani Cathedral, the Prikitch and Tigran Honents churches and Ebul Menucheyr Mosque on the Turkish side of the border. . .

Orhan Düzgün, the general director of cultural assets and museums, told Milliyet that Turkey has filed a complaint to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) International Council on Monuments and Sites over the mining in Armenia. Düzgün said: This site is historic ground. This is why we can't understand their attitude. They are being unreasonably hardheaded. The ancient ruins in the Ani town of Kars could collapse because of the Armenian excavations, Milliyet said.

25 September 2006
Turkish Daily News