Kim was on holiday in Turkey with her boyfriend, when her eye suddenly fell on a special stone in a deserted alley during a visit to the city of Manavgat. She picked up the stone, with two flowers carved into it, and put it in her suitcase a week later together with two other stones that she found on the beach at the hotel. After a security check at the airport, Kim was suddenly pulled aside and told she was suspected of theft of archaeological artifacts, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
A report by the Antalya Museum Directorate, which examined the stones, said that “it was determined that the piece with two stylized rosettes on it was an architectural decoration piece and the two marble pieces were floor covering pieces.” For these reasons, it is prohibited under Turkish law to take the stones abroad. The report therefore means bad news for Kim, who has been given an ‘exit ban’ pending a lawsuit, meaning she is not allowed to leave Turkey. She has to report to the Antalya police station every Monday.