Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Wednesday the "
support of the British people
" for the return to Greece of the Parthenon friezes currently in the British Museum in London, according to a survey by the British polling institute YouGov. According to this survey published on the site's Daily Question page, 59% of respondents answered that the Parthenon marbles "
belonged to Greece
" against 18% attributing their ownership to the United Kingdom. 22% indicated “
not knowing
”. “
The relationship between Greece and the UK is strong. Let’s strengthen it further. It's time to do the right thing and bring the Parthenon sculptures together in Athens, a move supported by the British people
Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted, tying the poll link.
Greece has been claiming in vain for decades the return of the Parthenon marbles, detached from the ancient temple of the Acropolis of Athens and shipped to London at the beginning of the 19th century by the British diplomat Lord Elgin.
The Acropolis Museum in Athens has reserved a special place for these friezes pending their return.
Currently, only a replica is presented in the museum erected on 15,000 m2 since 2009 at the foot of the sacred rock, a site from the 5th century BC, among the most visited in the world.
During an official visit to London last week, Under pressure from Athens, London leaves the British Museum to decide on a return of the Parthenon marbles to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. While explaining that he understood "
the strength of the sentiment of the Greek people
", Boris Johnson reiterated London's position that the issue is up to the administrators of the British Museum.
A few days before this meeting, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had reminded the British daily
Daily Telegraph
of Athens' position, according to which "
the marbles had been stolen in the 19th century
" and that "
they belonged to the Acropolis museum
".
But British authorities have always retorted that the friezes were taken away with the permission of the Ottoman rulers, who were occupying Greece at the time.
Supported by many personalities around the world, Athens has always opted for the diplomatic route, rather than taking legal action.
She proposed mediation by Unesco, the UN institution responsible for culture and education, an offer rejected by the British Museum.