‘4,398 Smuggled Historical Artifacts Returned to Turkey in 15 Years’

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Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Aksoy has indicated that between the years of 2004 and 2019, 4 thousand 398 smuggled historical artifacts have been returned to Turkey.

Aksoy has shared this information in answering a parliamentary question previously submitted by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer. In his parliamentary question, Gürer asked a series of questions to Vice President Fuat Oktay about the historical artifacts smuggled from Turkey and the ones returned to the country.

Responding to the questions, Minister Aksoy has indicated, "The works as to the return of cultural assets are conducted in accordance with the spirit of UNESCO 1970 Convention. However, no statistics are kept on the artifacts returned within the frame of UNESCO 1970 Convention."

Gürer: There is a serious loophole

CHP Niğde MP Gürer has made a statement in response to the Minister's answer. Underlining that treasure hunting has become more widespread in Turkey as a result of economic crisis, Gürer has stated that there are traces of illegal excavations in several parts of Anatolia.

Referring to the answer of the Minister, who informed that 4 thousand 398 smuggled historical artifacts have been returned to Turkey in 15 years, Gürer has emphasized that "there is a serious loophole in this area."

* MP Ömer Fethi Gürer

Stressing the importance of legal regulations to increase inspections, Gürer has stated that the Ministry should undertake scientific excavations in the specified sites before treasure hunters.

"Regulations that will bring social history into light and lay claim to this history need to be introduced", the MP has further emphasized.

How many historical artifacts have been returned?

In his parliamentary question, Gürer asked the following questions:

• How many historical artifacts have been identified to be smuggled from Turkey and to be on exhibition in different museums abroad?
• Of the historical artifacts exhibited in our country, how many of them have been returned from abroad in the last 15 years?
• Since the UNESCO 1970 Convention was signed, how many historical artifacts have been returned from Turkey?
• Are there still any historical artifacts, for which the Ministry has prepared a scientific report and requested their return?

From the Minister's answer to Gürer

In his answer to MP Gürer, Minister of Culture and Tourism Aksoy has reminded that Turkey became a signatory to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property on April 21, 1981.

In this context, he has further informed that the Ministry does not keep separate statistics on the historical artifacts returned to Turkey within the frame of the UNESCO 1970 Convention.

"Detailed information about the historical artifacts returned to Turkey since 1980 is accessible under https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-44470/yurt-disindan-iadesi-saglanan-eserler.html", the Minister has indicated further.

Concluding his answer, Aksoy has stated that the Ministry has appealed to a series of countries including Germany, the US, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmar, France, England and Italy for the return of smuggled artifacts and and added that the works for their return still continue. (TP/SD)