Netanyahu also recounted his 1998 meeting with then-Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz, noting that he officially requested the Silvan Inscription at that time. He said he offered Yılmaz: "Our museums have thousands of Ottoman artifacts. Choose one and we'll exchange it for the Silvan Inscription." This proposal was rejected.
Former Deputy Director General of Cultural Heritage and Museums Yahya Coşkun stated that in 2022, when he was Deputy Director General of Museums, Israeli officials personally requested the stone from him. He showed them the registration document of the Siloam Inscription at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, dated 1883, and said: "It came from Ottoman Jerusalem to the Ottoman capital before the establishment of Israel. I asked them on what basis they could request it. That inscription is still with us and will remain preserved in our museum forever."
