Finance minister says 'no' to meteorite tax in Turkey's east

After discussions both on traditional and social media, including a Twitter poll by the country's finance minister and an official investigation, it has been decided villagers in the eastern province of Bingöl who found and sold meteorite pieces at inflated prices did not need to pay taxes for this sort of income.

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet ?im?ek took to Twitter to seek the public's opinion on the move to tax locals selling meteorite fragments in Bingöl's Sar?çiçek village.  

"Should the meteorites sold in Sar?çiçek be taxable? What do you think?" the minister tweeted alongside a two-answer survey.

Some 72 percent of a total of 30,400 participants said "no" to the minister's question on Nov. 20, when ?im?ek began an official investigation. 

"As any commercial organization was not established by local people in Bingöl, they do not need to pay any taxes for their income from selling the meteorites. Other people who have flocked to the city, however, need to pay the taxes as they are there for commercial reasons," said ?im?ek. 

The debate over taxation began after the Finance Ministry dispatched officials to conduct tax inspections after villagers in Bingöl sold a number of meteorite fragments they had discovered, though the villagers fiercely objected to the move and said the meteorites were "sent by God."

Officials arrived at the village of Sar?çiçek to investigate after media reports emerged about villagers selling meteorite pieces for up to $200,000 to collectors from Russia and Europe.

All sales worth more than 21,000 Turkish Liras ($7,000) are subject to taxation. 

The local villagers objected to the ministry's move, arguing the meteorites could not be considered natural wealth because...