19 historical artifacts smuggled abroad brought to Türkiye

Thousands of artifacts illegally smuggled out of Türkiye have been brought back thanks to the successful efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The number of artifacts returned to Türkiye has reached 12,139 since 2002 and 7,823 since 2018.

Finally, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that 19 artifacts returned from the UK, Italy and the US this year have been restored to Türkiye’s cultural treasury.

Among the artifacts brought to Türkiye is the Bronze Emperor Statue from the ancient city of Boubon. The statue was put up for sale by Christie’s Auction House in New York in 2011. An investigation by the United States and Türkiye determined that the statue had been illegally removed from Türkiye.

The collector, who was informed about the origins of the sculpture in this way, took a good faith approach and accepted that the sculpture was the property of the Republic of Türkiye. The statue, which was returned to Türkiye, was unveiled to the public on February 2, 2024 at the Antalya Museum.

Among the artifacts brought to Türkiye are the Korean Torso of Miletus origin and 11 terracotta artifacts identified as belonging to Türkiye within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Florence Prosecutor’s Office.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the return of 19 artifacts on his social media account as follows

“We continue to protect our history and cultural heritage!

In 2024, we ensured the return of 19 more artifacts. In this process, which we carried out with great diligence and determination, we brought back precious artifacts from the UK, Italy and the USA.

Since 2002, we have increased the number of artifacts returned to Turkey to 12,139 and since 2018 to 7,823.

Every piece of this land is a witness to our history and culture, and we are determined to protect and preserve them for the future!”