Türkiye repatriated 180 cultural artifacts in 2025, raising the total number of items recovered from abroad over the past 23 years to 13,448, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The ministry said cultural assets removed from the country through illegal trafficking are being traced and identified through coordinated scientific, legal, and diplomatic efforts. It noted that international cooperation has played a key role in accelerating the return of these artifacts.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that museums, auction houses, and private collections abroad are closely monitored, while legal procedures are carried out in cooperation with relevant authorities to secure the recovery of stolen heritage.
In a post on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Ersoy said the General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums enabled the return of 180 artifacts this year, contributing to ongoing restitution efforts that began in 2002.
Among the repatriated pieces is a bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius originating from the ancient city of Boubon in Burdur, which was returned from the US.
Cooperation with Switzerland led to the return of seven artifacts of Anatolian origin seized in the Canton of St. Gallen.
Other items returned to Türkiye include a Urartian-period bronze belt, bull-headed helmets, a Lydian silver phiale, a Roman Imperial-period armored emperor statue and 83 bronze coins of Anatolian mint origin.
Over two decades, most repatriations have come from the US through coordination with judicial authorities and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Switzerland is the second-largest source of returns, with earlier recoveries also recorded from Germany and other countries.
Türkiye’s cultural heritage spans Hittite, Urartian, Lydian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, with more than 20 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
UNESCO highlights the protection of cultural property under the 1970 Convention on prohibiting the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property, emphasizing the international responsibility to safeguard heritage.
Global trafficking trends show an increase in organized networks operating through conflict zones and online markets. Interpol and UNESCO report expanded operations in 2025.
Operation Pandora IX, coordinated by Spain’s Guardia Civil alongside Europol, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization, led to about 80 arrests and the seizure of more than 37,700 cultural objects in 2024-2025 efforts, with cyber patrols resulting in 4,298 seizures.
The ministry said strengthened cooperation, targeted investigations and expanded monitoring of international auctions and sales platforms have contributed to the recovery of thousands of items in recent years.
