* Photo: Archive - AA
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The Council of State has reversed the decision of the Interior Ministry, which did not give permission so that an investigation could be launched against Gümüşhane Governor Kamuran Taşbilek over the destruction of "Dipsiz Göl" (Fathomless Lake) by treasure hunting activities.
With this recent ruling of the Council, nn investigation will now be launched against Governor Taşbilek for "overlooking the treasure hunting and excavation activities in the pasture around Fathomless Lake and causing the lake to dry up and the pasture to be destroyed."
Ministry decision annulled
After the Ministry of Interior did not give the necessary permission for investigation, attorney Metin Bayar and attorney Mehtap Aykaç, on behalf of the Ankara Bar Association, appealed against this refusal dated June 2, 2020 at the 1st Chamber of the Council of State.
The 1st Chamber of the Council of State assigned Investigating Judge T.K. with investigating the allegation of "overlooking the treasure hunting and excavation activities in the pasture around Fathomless Lake and causing the lake to dry up and the pasture to be destroyed."
As reported by İsmail Akduman from Sözcü newspaper, the 1st Chamber of the Council of State heard the opinion of the judge and unanimously accepted the appeal against the failure of the Ministry of Interior to give a permission for investigating Governor Taşbilek.
What happened?
Dipsiz Lake, which can be roughly translated as Fathomless Lake, is located in the province of Gümüşhane, at an altitude of 2 thousand 140 meters. Its main sources of water were, above all, snow and rain water.
As reported at the time, a person alleged that the treasure of Legio XV Apollinaris of the Roman Empire was hidden at the bottom of the 12,000-year-old lake and applied for permission to dig up the lake.
Upon the positive opinion of the Trabzon Regional Cultural Heritage Preservation Board and the Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urban Affairs, a permission was granted to two persons to search for treasure.
The water of the lake was drained and the area was dug up with excavators. Five-day excavation works were ended as no treasures could be found.
The water filling the lake was totally drained as a result of the treasure hunt. When the lake and its surrounding area were examined afterwards, it was understood that the soil structure of the lake bed and bank was damaged.
People's Liberation Party (HKP) and Ankara Bar Association applied to the Gümüşhane Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and filed a criminal complaint against Gümüşhane Governor Kamuran Taşbilek, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director of Gümüşhane Governor's Office, Gümüşhane Archaeology Museum's Director, Gümüşhane Provincial Director of Environment and Urbanization and other officials in charge of "misconduct in office" on the grounds that they were responsible for the destruction.
However, the Ministry of Interior did not give permission for investigation against Gümüşhane Governor Kamuran Taşbilek.
Speaking to different news agencies and media outlets in the meanwhile, academics underlined that Dipsiz Göl was a glacial lake, its 12,000-year-old ecosystem has been destroyed and the lake cannot be restored to its previous natural form by filling it again with water. (TP/SD)
