Stolen sculpture of iconic cat of Istanbul returned

The bronze sculpture of the cat, Tombili, that became a social media phenomenon after the photo of him casually sitting outstretched on the pavement in Istanbul's Kadiköy district was distributed, disappeared only a month after being unveiled.

Neighborhood residents saw that the statue of Tombili was returned in the morning hours. Sculptor Seval Şahin shared a photo with the statue, thanking coverage on social media, in the press and on TV, which she says helped bring about the happy ending.

Tombili's bronze statue started to take a special place in the Kadiköy residents' hearts after the cat actually passed away in the late summer.

The cat, Tombili, became world-famous after his funny picture of a casual cat lying on the sidewalk was shared on the viral site 9GAG and has been adapted to create memes by various internet users.