41 Anatolian artifacts repatriated to Turkey from US
The US is returning at least 41 historical artifacts of Anatolian origin that were illegally taken from Türkiye. Artifacts are t ransferred to Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gokhan Yazgi in New York.
The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced that these artifacts, retrieved through a five-year collaboration with the US Manhattan District Attorney's Office, are among several cultural assets repatriated to Turkey since 2021.
Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gokhan Yazgi, accompanied by a delegation, received the artifacts at the Turkish House in New York. During the ceremony, Yazgi credited a "hard-working and dedicated team" from both countries for their constant effort over five years to combat cultural asset smuggling.
"This team has corrected past mistakes by repatriating illegally smuggled artifacts, enhancing the US's international reputation in this field," he said.
Reyhan Ozgur, Turkish Consul General in New York, expressed gratitude to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, noting, "The return of these smuggled historical artifacts symbolizes the rectification of past errors."
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated, “We have reclaimed another group of our artifacts, illegally removed from our country, at the Turkish House in New York.”
He added that the successful collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation unit led to the repatriation of 41 cultural assets, including bronze heads, busts, and silver figurines.
Ersoy revealed that the total number of artifacts returned to Turkey has now reached 30,059. The artworks are scheduled for transport to Turkey by the end of the month.
