Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said recently that as long as there is "political will," an agreement regarding the return of the Parthenon sculptures can still be reached. However, Greece will not accept a "borrowing" arrangement similar to that which France has with the Tapisserie de Baye, where the tapestry is loaned to Britain.
In an article written for The Guardian, Mitsotakis stated that Greece “cannot accept any arrangements that require Greece to recognize the ownership of these sculptures by the British Museum, nor can it accept a proposal that implies we are going to ‘borrow back’ components of our monumental buildings.”
A few weeks ago, Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, told the Financial Times that the arrangement for France to lend the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum for display for 10 months could provide a model for addressing the issue of the Parthenon sculptures.
Calinano said that there is no such "template that can be copied and applied", but this exhibition is an example of successful international cooperation.
Mitsotakis stated in his article that the situation with the sculptures of the Parthenon is completely different, as half of the original sculptures are now located in Athens. No one would suggest cutting the ‘Tapisserie de l’Étoile’ into two pieces.
Mitsotakis also pointed out that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has previously supported the return of these sculptures.
He said that solving this problem requires “political will and courage”, but Greece will not accept any solution that is not a “reunion” of these sculptures in Athens.
Mitsotakis stated that this arrangement can serve as the “foundation for a broad and lasting cultural partnership between our two countries, creating new opportunities for exhibitions, academic research, cultural heritage protection, and exchanges between Greek and British museums.”
He said that this is “the real achievement worth striving for”.
This statement comes at a time when there are speculations in the outside world regarding the negotiations between the British Museum and the Greek government regarding the return of these ancient artifacts.
The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph previously reported that the negotiations were on the verge of collapse.
Those close to the negotiations objected to this description, but they also acknowledged that there are still significant differences between the two sides that need to be resolved in this prolonged dialogue.
Bernham once stated that these sculptures should be returned to Greece; however, he recently indicated that this issue should be handled by the British Museum.
The sculptures of the Parthenon are also known as the "Elgin Marbles," named after the British nobleman Lord Elgin. More than 200 years ago, he removed these sculptures from Athens.
These ancient sculptures were carved by the famous sculptor Phidias over 2500 years ago and were originally displayed on the magnificent reliefs of the Parthenon.
Later, Elgin, who was then the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed these sculptures from Athens under highly controversial circumstances.
Elgin, due to this series of actions, went bankrupt. Subsequently, in 1816, he sold these sculptures to the British government.
This incident later became a cultural dispute between Britain and Greece that lasted for decades.
British law currently restricts the permanent return of artifacts from the British Museum, while Greece believes that these artifacts were taken by force.
Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer and current chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Museum, George Osborne, confirmed in 2023 that he is negotiating an agreement with the Greek side.
But he also said that he did not attempt to push for changes to the law.
This refers to the British Museum Act of 1963. This act prohibits the British Museum from permanently removing items from its collection.
At that time, a plan was proposed: to display these sculptures alternately between London and Athens. In exchange, the British side could have some "Greek treasures" displayed in Britain.
The British Museum stated that its current position has not changed, and it remains open to reaching an agreement.
