 A nation shedding their blood
Greece and the UK are fellow European States
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A nation shedding their blood 
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In the early 19th century, when the Acropolis sculptures were seized, the Greek nation was engaged in a long, bloody fight of independence against the Ottoman empire. The pressure on the Greek population left not many options - men and women were engaged in a fierce fight against the enemy. Under these circumstances, it is obvious that the Greeks were not in a position of authority to permit or not the removal of sculptures from the Athenian Acropolis. Athens, like the whole of the Greek territory, had been under Turkish command since 1453. Thus, when Elgin came to Athens for his deeds, the Greeks were well into a 400-year Ottoman occupation. In the absence of a formal Greek authority, the removal of the sculptures from the Acropolis was committed after communication with the Ottoman authorities, who vaguely allowed Elgin to study of the Acropolis. To date, the legitimacy of the removal of the Sculptures is subject to debate. No Greek consent was obtained or sought by Elgin to access the Acropolis and the Parthenon. He was simply an ambassador from another European country who walked into foreign land to take the cultural treasures of a nation covered in blood. |
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Greece and the UK are fellow European States
Maintaining issues of division within Europe is wrong. In European history, countries have fought, hated, and killed the people of one another. Today, the continent has reached a supreme level of understanding, collaboration, and respectful co-existence.
Greece and the UK are connected with friendly bonds. There is nothing more disappointing than seeing unsolved issues undermining the relationship of these two European nations. The persistence of the British Museum on the ownership of the Greek sculptures is a provocative claim not only against Greece, but, culturally, the international community. Having such sensitive issues pending is ethically unacceptable. In a gesture of unity, provided that the Acropolis sculptures are reunited in Athens, the Greek Ministry of Culture has offered to lend other Greek treasures to the UK. This has been a unique opportunity for the two countries to shake hands and seal their long friendship with a truly civilised agreement in European history.
