Regulation on Military Museums (Official Gazette Date: 30.09.1984 Official Gazette Issue: 18531) FIRST SECTION General Provisions FIRST CHAPTER Objective, Scope and Legal Ground Objective Article 1 The objective of this Regulation is to set forth the establishment, perpetuation, materials, field of activities and the duties, responsibilities and operation of military museums. Scope Article 2 This Regulation encompasses matters regarding the duties and responsibilities of real and legal persons related to the operation and development of museums established and to be established within the body of the Armed Forces as required by this Regulation. Legal Ground Article 3 This Regulation was prepared as required by Article 26 of the Law on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property numbered 2863. SECOND CHAPTER Establishment, Powers and Responsibilities Establishment Article 4 Military Museums shall be established towards the aim of reflecting the social, historical and technical development of the Turkish Armed Forces in the respective periods, enhancing the sentiments of Union and Cohesion in the Turkish Nation by exhibiting the effectiveness, heroicness and tasks the army performed in world history, preparing the ground for scientific research and investigations relating to history and military services in their respective fields, ensuring that cultural property documenting these be conserved, stored and exhibited. Organisational link Article 5 The location and organisational links of Military Museums established and to be established shall be determined by the General Staff. Operation of Military Museums Article 6 The operation of Military Museums within the body of the Turkish Armed Forces, their personnel and cadre shall be determined by means of a special cadre and the directives of the General Staff and the respective commands according to their organisational link. Identification of Military Cultural Property Article 7 The research, investigation or evaluation of the historic characteristics all kinds of materials related to Turkish Military History (except guns, bullets and knives within the scope of the Law numbered 6136) at the locations they were found or reported to be or brought in shall be performed by Military Museums. Safekeeping Article 8 It shall fall under the scope of Article 7. The Military Cultural Property shall be included in the scope of safekeeping by the Garrison Command in a documented way as per the procedure at the locations it is found or reported to be, until they are examined by employees of the Military Museum. Military cultural property subject to safekeeping shall be notified to Military Museums as soon as possible.
Classification and Registration Article 9 The relevant Military Museum Command that received news about the Military Cultural Property (except the guns, bullets and knives falling under the scope of the Law numbered 6136) being kept or sold at an auction shall examine the material in place by dispatching specialized employees. The examined materials shall be classified and registered in the following way. 1 The property that has the quality of military cultural property to be protected and is deemed appropriate for being admitted to Military Museums may be admitted to Military Museums on the condition that the value appraised by appreciation commissions is paid to their owners. Property that cannot be purchased shall be returned to their owners accompanied by a document. The materials to be conserved by their owners shall be subject to registration and control by the relevant Military Museums. Military cultural property to be protected that is relic of ancestors and at the disposal of real persons shall remain in their ownership and be used by the owners, on the condition that it be subject to registration and control by the relevant Military Museum. 2 Property that has the quality of military cultural property to be protected, yet not required to be admitted to Military Museum, shall be returned to their owners in a documented manner. The antiquities submitted in a documented manner shall be preserved by their owners or be evaluated as per the provisions of the relevant regulations executed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 3 Materials that are not qualified to be admitted to museums and excluded from classification and registration shall be returned to their owners in a documented manner. The owners may take all kinds of actions on these materials. The documents mentioned in the clauses number 1, 2 and 3 shall be issued in a way to allow for identification of the antiquity. Evaluation Article 10 The value appreciation commissions of Military Museums shall consist of at least three specialized employees including the chairperson, and shall be headed by the Military Museum Commander or a specialized employee to be deemed appropriate by him/her. The Commission shall congregate with the participation of all members. The decisions of the value appraisal commission shall be taken with absolute majority. If there is equality in the decisions, the vote of the chairperson shall be effective. Specialized employees from outside the Military Museum may be called to attend the meeting without any right to vote. Proceedings regarding objections to the procedures of establishment and operation of value appraisal commissions at military museums as well as to the appraisal per se shall be specified in a directive to be issued by the General Staff. Objection to the Appraisal Article 11 The value appraised by the value appraisal commission may be appealed, the costs of which shall be undertaken by the appealer. This appeal shall be evaluated by a commission of minimum three persons from the Military Museum and Cultural Site, Naval Museum and Aviation Museum as ultimate instance. Prize Article 12 Persons who report the location of military cultural property shall be given a prize as per Article 64 of the Law numbered 2863. Collection Article 13 Collecting Military Cultural Property shall be subject to the provisions of the Regulation on the Collection and Control of Movable Cultural and Natural Property to Be Protected" published in the Official Gazette dated March 15, 1984 and numbered 18342. Authorities Article 14 The Military Museum and Cultural Site, Naval Museum and Aviation Museum shall be authorized to implement the Articles 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of this Regulation. Exhibits at Military Museums Article 15 The military cultural property belonging to Turkish and foreign nations to be exhibited at Military Museums
shall be as follows: 1 All kinds of local and foreign warfare equipment, arms from the past to the present, 2 All military uniforms of Turkish Military history, 3 All kinds of military medals, tokens, badges, plaques, plates, forces, flags, symbols and banners, etc., 4 All kinds of official accessories of personnel or warfare arms and equipment as of the beginnings until to date, 5 All kinds of authentic documents such as paintings, photos, engravings, films, microfilms, books, titles of privilege, edicts, lithographic prints, correspondence of wars, commanders and our national liberation and the foundation of our country, 6 All the historic memoirs belonging to our Land, Air and Sea Forces as well as the General Command of the Gendarmerie, 7 Personal belongings, documents, books, writings, documents of Atatürk and other antiquities related to Atatürk. Duties of the First Class Military Museum Commands Article 16 (Amended: RG-22/8/2003-25207) The Command of Anıtkabir (Atatürk s Mausoleum in Ankara) Museum, Military Museum and Cultural Site, Naval Museum (Beşiktaş-Istanbul and the Dardanelles) and Aviation Museum (Yeşilyurt-Istanbul and Etimesgut-Ankara), which have the status of first class military museum and have the status of museums open to the public, shall be obliged to collect, preserve and exhibit the materials specified in Article 15. Duties of Second Class Military Museum Commands Article 17 The special Union Museums and Class Museums that are second class Military Museums may display and preserve materials that pertain only to their own themes. These museums shall notify First Class Military Museum Commands of the materials available to them. The material that is deemed appropriate shall be transferred to First Class Military Museum Commands. SECOND SECTION Activities of Military Museums FIRST CHAPTER General Activities Sources of Military Cultural Property Article 18 Sources of military cultural property for Military Museums shall be the following: 1 Military cultural property that all kinds of real and legal persons have at their disposal, 2 Military cultural property relating to Turkish history acquired in various ways by the Law Enforcement Agencies or confiscated by courts, 3 Materials of military quality acquired in various ways at the disposal of the Forensic Medicine Institution. Provision of Military Cultural Property Article 19 Military cultural property shall be obtained in the following ways by Military Museums: 1 By being transferred from the sources specified in clauses 2 and 3 of Article 18 to Military Museums after examination and evaluation has been made by Military Museums as per the due procedure
2 By being donated by real and legal persons. Records and Registers Article 20 The scientific record keeping and registration of materials to be exhibited at Military Museums shall be arranged by means of special directives of the museums. Maintenance of Military Cultural Property Article 21 Workshops and laboratories shall be established within the body of the Military Museum and Cultural Site, Naval Museum, Aviation Museum and Anıtkabir (Atatürk's Mausoleum in Ankara) Museum to ensure the maintenance, restoration and conservation of military cultural property. The operation principles of laboratories and workshops shall be laid down in the special directives of these museums. Deletion of the Records of Military Cultural Property Article 22 Exhibits at Military Museums which do not have historical and exhibition value shall be identified in a justified report after being evaluated by a delegation consisting of Military Museum specialists. Depending on their organisational link, these materials shall be submitted to the General Staff or relevant Commands for the approval of the deletion of their records. Military Museum Libraries Article 23 Military Museums shall establish libraries open to scientists and persons, which compile all kinds of local and foreign publications especially in their fields of specialization to enable examination, research and development. SECOND CHAPTER Special Activities Research and Development Article 24 Military Museums shall perform their historical research and investigation activities on the military cultural property they have compiled by means of their experts. For these research and investigation activities, the Military Museum experts: 1 may take part in congresses, seminars, symposia, colloquia and conferences relating to their own area of specialization and museum administration in the country, 2 keep abreast with literature on military history and ensure that literature deemed necessary be provided to the Military Museum library; 3 Military Museum experts may also take part in museum activities abroad in order to improve their knowledge and gain experience required for their research and development activities, 4 May establish relations with institutions and organisation inside and outside the country involved in museum activities and become members to such organisations with the permission of the General Staff. Exhibition Article 25 Military Museums may open didactic exhibitions consisting of their particular exhibits, personal works, corporate collections and special collections in addition to their general exhibition activities. They may organize seminars and conferences related to their themes. Giving Military Cultural Property Article 26 Giving materials to military and civil museums temporarily shall be subject to authorization by the General Staff or the relevant Command depending on the organisational link. Transfer of Military Cultural Property Article 27 Materials that are not military cultural property but available at Military Museums may be transferred to the
relevant state museums in the country according to the proposal reports of the experts of Military Museums and depending on their organisational link by the General Staff or the relevant Command. Sending Exhibits Abroad Article 28 Matters related to sending exhibits of First Class Military Museums abroad for exhibition purposes and military cultural property kept by the members of the Diplomatic Corps shall be subject to the provisions of the Regulation on Taking Cultural and Natural Property to Be Protected In and Out of the Country" published in the Official Gazette dated February 16th, 1984 and numbered 18314. Publication and Promotion Article 29 Military Museums may publish promotional books, catalogues, leaflets and postal cards relevant to their theme. At the same time, on the condition that they be related to Military Museums, museum experts may publish articles in national and international newspapers and journals of history, art history and literature as well as various other museum publications. REGULATION:2000/(ANNEX-1) Benefiting from Military Cultural Property and Documents at Military Museums Article 30 Military cultural property and documents at Military Museums may be benefited from by way of taking photos, dia-positives, making films, videos, micro-films, pictures, impressions, engravings, imitations and reproductions. However, 1 written or oral authorization by the Military Museum Command shall be required for the personal works of amateurs. 2- persons, official or private institutions have to get permission from the General Staff or relevant Command depending on the relevant organisational link to benefit from such activities for professional and commercial purposes, on the condition that these be not contrary to the Special Directives of Military Museums. 3 These activities shall be in return for a charge. Charges shall be determined in the special directives of Military Museums. 4 During studies conducted by amateurs and professionals, no fees shall be charged from scientists, official bodies of the state and for films and photos that introduce Turkish Military History and the Armed Forces in a positive manner. Janissary Band Article 31 The historic Janissary Band and its historic troop traditionally revived and perpetuated by the General Staff as part of the Museum and Cultural Site makes up the musical unit of the museum. A double or imitation of the Janissary Band may not be permanent and it may not be represented by any other institution than the Military Museum and Cultural Site. Musicology Article 32 The Naval Museum and Aviation Museum located outside the Military Museum and Cultural Site may establish a musical unit in relation to their own themes. THIRD SECTION Revenues and Varieties of Military Museums FIRST CHAPTER Sources of Revenues of Military Museums Revenues of Military Museums Article 33 The Revenues of Military Museums shall be the following: 1 Budgetary appropriations from the Ministry of National Defence for this purpose,
2 Donations made to Military Museums by real and legal persons, 3 Revenues from photos, films, etc. in return for a receipt and earned via sales of postcards, cassettes, touristic articles, etc. at the Military Museums, 4 (Amended: 17/06/1991-20904) Entrance fees to be determined by the General Staff. Utilization of Sources of Revenues Article 34 The revenues of Military Museums shall be spent for the renewal and development of museums and for the services specified in Article 4. SECOND CHAPTER Varieties of Military Museums First Class Military Museums Article 35 Museums of international quality that exhibit all kinds of military cultural property belonging to our Armed Forces which reflect the history of the Turkish Armed Forces as per the periods shall be first class military museums. These Museums shall be: 1 The Turkish Military Museum and Cultural Site as part of the General Staff (Harbiye-İSTANBUL). 2 - (Amended: RG-22/8/2003-25207) Naval Museum (Beşiktaş-İstanbul) and Çanakkale Naval Museum part of the Naval Forces Command. 3 (Amended: RG-21/5/2000-24055) Yeşilyurt-Istanbul Aviation Museum and Etimesgut-Ankara Aviation Museum part of the Air Forces. 4 - Anıtkabir Museum (Mausoleum of Atatürk in Ankara). Second Class Military Museums Article 36 Museums established in the units up to the level of regimen within the body of the Armed Forces and confined with their own themes, not open to the public and narrow in terms of scope that are targeting training shall be second class Military Museums. These shall be: 1 Class museums of the Land, Air and Sea Forces as well as the General Command of the Gendarmerie, 2 Military schools and special unit museums of the Land, Air and Sea Forces and General Command of the Gendarmerie. Enforcement Article 37 This Regulation that has been prepared based on the affirmative opinion of the Court of Accounts shall be enforced as of its publication date. Execution Article 38 This Regulation shall be executed by the Ministers of National Defence and Culture and Tourism.