ARIT

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FOR EXCAVATIONS AND SURVEYS IN TURKEY FOR 2013

[ARIT Permit Review Memo and Format .doc or .pdf ]
[Traditional Turkish Visa Application Form (return seven copies with original signatures) ]

Relevant regulations from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate:

NOTE: The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued an updated Directive (Yönerge) concerning the rules and principles for conducting survey, sondage, and excavations on cultural and natural heritage, 13 February 2013.

Directive (Yönerge) concerning the rules and principles for conducting survey, sondage, and excavations on cultural and natural heritage, 24 February 2012.
English translation of the Directive (Yönerge), courtesy the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara.

Past directives:
[2004 Turkish Regulations .pdf]
[June 2005 regulation ammendments.pdf]
[August 2005 regulation ammendments.pdf] RESCINDED 9-09
[December 2009 notice .pdf] [December 2009 notice - English translation]

At the ongoing request of the Director General for Culture and Tourism, ARIT will continue to review applications for archaeological excavations and surveys in Turkey for 2013.  The policy is part of an effort to aid the General Directorate in making informed decisions on applications coming from abroad.  The Directorate is particularly concerned about the credentials of scholars who have previously worked little if at all in Turkey, about the scholarly integrity of the project, and the financial prospects for seeing the project to completion.  

Prior to submitting an application to the Turkish Embassy for excavation or survey, a summary description of the proposed work should be sent first to ARIT.  The Turkish Embassy in Washington will also refer applicants to ARIT.  As in the past, the Turkish Embassy will continue to provide application forms to applicants.  A committee appointed by the President of ARIT in consultation with ARIT Officers and Directors will review the applications.  Details are as follows:The deadline for submitting project descriptions to ARIT is November 1. 

The project description should include the information listed on the attached "Information for Review..." Lengthy statements or copies of detailed grant proposals are to be avoided. 

Applications for survey need to include a clear photocopy of a map indicating the area to be surveyed, in order to avoid overlaps with other survey projects.  The maps should be at as large a scale as is available. 

ARIT will immediately inform applicants of its recommendations.  In any case, due to time constraints, complete applications should then be submitted directly to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, in any case by no later than December 1, 2012.  Clearance by ARIT does not carry the guarantee that applications will be approved by the Turkish authorities.

Project statements and accompanying materials should be sent directly to ARIT Headquarters:  The University of Pennsylvania Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia  PA  19104-6324 (telephone:  (215) 898-3474; fax:  (215) 898-0657; email:  leinwand@sas.upenn.edu. 

ARIT looks upon the review procedure as a positive process, to give Turkish officials assurance that projects coming from the U.S. are scholarly sound and stand a reasonable chance of securing adequate funding.  

Individual, i.e., non-team applications for archaeological research in Turkey, e.g., to study museum collections or to conduct other personal research outside the context of an excavation or survey, should be made through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

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INFORMATION FOR REVIEW OF PROPOSED EXCAVATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR 2013

1.   Name and institutional affiliation of applicant. 
2.   Addresses, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address. 
3.   Curriculum vitae, including fieldwork experience and bibliography. 
4.   Site for excavation or area for survey; include, as appropriate, province (il), sub-district (ilce), and village.  For surveys, please append a clear copy of a map showing the area(s) proposed for survey.
5.   Inclusive dates of work. 
6.   Narrative statement on proposed work, up to two single-spaced pages in length. 
7.   Planned staffing (e.g., excavators, surveyors, architects, conservators, etc.).
8.   One or both of the following: a letter of guarantee of support from the applicant's  institution, including the amount of funding; a statement of funds applied for (or to be applied for), including the granting organization(s) and amount(s) requested.

Please send the above information to ARIT by NOVEMBER 1, 2012:  c/o The University of Pennsylvania Museum, 3260 South Street,Philadelphia  PA  19104-6324 (telephone:  (215) 898-3474; fax:  (215) 898-0657; or by email:  leinwand at sas.upenn.edu). On the basis of a committee review, ARIT will, by November 15, make its recommendations to the General Directorate for Monuments and Museums in Ankara.  Project directors will immediately be informed of ARIT's recommendations.  It is not necessary to wait for a reply from ARIT to submit your application to the Turkish Embassy.  Applications should be submitted to the Turkish Embassy in Washington no later than December 1, 2012.  The application regulations and application form for researchers are posted above. Instructions for completing the form for the research visa are posted on the Turkish Consulate website. 

Addresses for December 1 submission: 

Turkish Embassy Consulate 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20008

T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü II. Meclis Binası Yanı Ulus, Ankara 06100 Turkey