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A major archaeological project involving more than 200 researchers was stopped, being the victim of a political controversy.

Vienna Austrian Archeological Institute (AAI) was notified last week by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism that the project of the ancient city of Ephesus near Selcuk, Turkey will be stopped immediately.

’It is an incredible shock,’ said Sabine Landstatter, AAI Director and leader of excavations. Another smaller excavation project of AAI in Turkey was also closed.

The decision was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. But they have offered no remaining reason for stopping the work, but the Austrian Chancellor, Christian Kern, opposed Turkey’s entry into the European Union.

Also, Ankara withdrew its ambassador from Vienna on August 22. The final blow was stopping the AAI projects ‘I regret the decision because it mixes politics with science,’ said Sabine Landstatter.

Ephesus was founded by the Greek colonists as an Aegean port in the first century BC, which was expanded by the Romans. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Ladstatter conducted a research in the city of Ephesus for 23 years, leading the excavations in 2007. Returning to Vienna to prepare his daughter for the new school year, he learned that a letter from the Turkish government banned further research. She immediately flew back to Turkey, where she was in charge of 100 employees that had to be sent home within three days.

Hopefully things will go back to normal after the situation is further discussed, although the Turkish government is not happy about the situation in Europe.