Gunay unveils major Ankara museum project, the largest of its kinf in Turkey

Speaking to reporters en route to Turkmenistan to cut the ribbon on several hotels built by Turkish contractors, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay said that the government would soon launch a major project to construct Turkey's biggest museum, similar to Paris' Louvre, in Ankara. Stating that it would be built on an area of 40,000 square meters, and that seeing the entire museum would take a full week, Gunay said it may be called the Turkish Museum of Civilizations. Gunay said his ministry would soon seek bids for the facility's construction, adding that the same would be done for a planned Troy museum in the Marmara province of Canakkale. He also spoke about ministry plans to use a number of Istanbul-area buildings owned by state, military and educational institutions to help attract tourists. Work on this project is underway, he added. Asked about criticism of a recent move stripping local administrations of their authority over coastal development, giving it instead to the central government, Gunay said that this was meant to avoid coastal exploitation during the local election season, and to give coastal planning a coordinated shape, replacing differing plans from many municipalities. He also said the government would soon announce an incentive package to help Turkey's tourism industry weather the global economic crisis.