Zeynep Boz

In a significant stride against cultural property smuggling, Türkiye successfully repatriated 45 historical artifacts from abroad this year, reaffirming its commitment to preserving its rich heritage.

A "Kore torso" — a statue body without the head and arms — that was auctioned in the U.K. and returned to Türkiye after being proven smuggled from the ancient city of Miletus in the western province of Aydın's Didim district, will soon be exhibited at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.

In a significant development expected to bolster Greece's stance, Türkiye has thrown its support behind the neighboring country's ongoing campaign to reclaim Elgin Marbles from the United Kingdom.

Turkey's spokesperson at a meeting of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP) last week denied knowledge of a written authorization allowing Britain's Lord Elgin to sell large sections of the Parthenon's sculptural decorations that had been removed from the ancient

A headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius was ordered seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Türkiye.