German Journalist finds Iraqi Antiquities on Sale in Turkey

Sumer in Iraq

Investigative reporter Vanessa Schleisier went undercover as a buyer along the Turkish-Syrian antiquities smuggling route. She reached the western suburb of Akçakale (Şanlıurfa, Turkey), just half a kilometre from the Syrian border and there was shown antiquities for which the smuggler demanded 2.2 million dollars, icluding a Suerian gold and lapis necklace and a Sumerian statue ("Habibi") for which he wanted half a million. Both of these seem likely to have come from Iraq. Ms Schleisier did not buy the offered haul but at the end of the reportage we learn that  "Auch für Habibi hat sich ein Käufer gefunden, mal wieder jemand, der den Terror unterstützt". Interestingly, Ms Schleisier does not report any information from her informant about any ISIL-tax. The video is here:, the text here.