17.09.2025 14:03
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated during a ceremony in Jerusalem with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio that he requested the Silvan Inscription, which was brought from Jerusalem to Istanbul during the Ottoman period, from then-Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz in 1998. However, he noted that Yılmaz rejected this request due to the reaction from the voter base led by then-İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
While the Israeli army continues its attacks in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Tel Aviv. An anecdote shared by Netanyahu from the 1990s during a ceremony at the archaeological site near the Al-Aqsa Mosque has made headlines in Turkey.
NETANYAHU ASKED, MESUT YILMAZ HESITATED
Netanyahu revealed that he requested the Silwan (Siloam) Inscription, which was brought from Jerusalem to Istanbul during the Ottoman period, from then-Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz in 1998. The Israeli Prime Minister stated that he offered, "We have thousands of Ottoman artifacts in our museums. Choose any one you want, and let's exchange it for the Silwan Inscription."
However, Netanyahu noted that this request was rejected, claiming that Mesut Yılmaz told him that the growing voter base led by then-Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would react strongly to the inscription being given to Israel.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SILOAM INSCRIPTION
The Silwan Inscription, dating back approximately 2,700 years, was written in memory of the completion of a tunnel opened to meet Jerusalem's water needs during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. This six-line inscription, written in the ancient Hebrew alphabet, describes the moment when the tunnels opened from the north and south met. The inscription records that the diggers called out to each other to complete their work and achieved great success with the merging of the tunnel. Discovered in Jerusalem in 1880, the inscription was brought to Istanbul by the Ottoman administration and is now exhibited in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
ISRAEL'S REQUESTS HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY REJECTED
The Israeli administration has requested the Silwan Inscription from Turkey many times. In 2022, reports in the Israeli press claimed that the inscription would be given by Turkey, but Turkish diplomatic sources denied these reports. Sources pointed out that at the time the inscription was found, Jerusalem was Ottoman territory, and today it is part of the Palestinian state. Turkey has responded with a "no" to all requests to date.