Türkiye displays 100 repatriated artifacts from US

Centuries-old artifacts return home

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos joined officials at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums this week to unveil 100 cultural artifacts repatriated from the United States, inaugurating the "No Escape: Boubon" exhibition dedicated to combating illegal heritage trafficking.

The returned collection features 40 Bronze Age objects excavated from Horoztepe in Tokat province dating to 2300–2000 BC, alongside 44 terracotta architectural panels from Duver in Burdur province dating to 700–480 BC. Researchers also recovered a portrait from the ancient city of Aphrodisias, theatrical masks and goddess statuettes among the trafficked items, according to ministry officials.

Scientific research key to recovery

Ersoy said scientific research, archival documents and international cooperation proved essential in tracing the artifacts and securing their return from American institutions. He said researchers, journalists and local residents provided critical assistance in establishing the objects’ origins and verifying their provenance through extensive documentation.

The Boubon bronzes

A centerpiece of the exhibition highlights bronze statues from the ancient city of Boubon in Burdur, which were illegally excavated during the 1960s and subsequently dispersed among private collections across different countries. Research led by Professor Jale İnan, supported by detailed archaeological analyses, established their Turkish origins and facilitated their repatriation after decades abroad, according to the ministry.

Ersoy said excavations at the Boubon site, which resumed in 2023 under the ministry’s supervision, remain ongoing and continue to yield new archaeological discoveries.

Transatlantic cooperation against trafficking

Bogdanos said New York’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit has recovered 6,452 looted antiquities to date, including 276 objects originating from Türkiye that have been returned or are awaiting repatriation. He said protecting cultural heritage requires sustained international cooperation and significantly greater responsibility from museums, auction houses, galleries and private collectors in verifying the origins of acquired artifacts.

Both officials said returning stolen antiquities remains essential to safeguarding humanity’s shared cultural heritage and preventing the illegal excavation of archaeological sites.