1500-year-old priest statue allegedly given as wedding gift in Türkiye

A sixth-century priest statue stolen seven years ago from a museum garden in Isparta’s Yalvac district has been recovered in Ankara.

Police found the artifact, which dates back 1,500 years, during a checkpoint inspection in Golbasi on Nov. 22. Authorities detained 3 suspects involved in transporting the artifact.

Police stopped a vehicle with three occupants at the checkpoint and searched it. They discovered the 70-centimeter priest statue, which was identified as the one stolen from the garden of the Yalvac Museum Directorate in 2017.

Officers arrested Mustafa Kucuk, Hasan Kafaoglu, and Mustafa Kara, aged between 45 and 48, and charged them under the “Law on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage” (Law No. 2863).

Suspects claimed they intended to deliver artifact to Turkish museum

During court hearings, the suspects denied accusations of artifact smuggling. Mustafa Kucuk claimed the priest statue was a gift intended for his son’s wedding.

A friend named Nuh, whom I have known for about a year through my work in fertilizers and acids, offered me this statue as a wedding gift for my son. He said it was in his possession and asked me to take it. He told me I could either sell it or hand it over to a museum.

After researching the artifact online, I realized it was a stolen 1,500-year-old priest statue. Despite attempting to sell it to acquaintances in the treasure trade, I decided to deliver it to a museum. Police stopped us before we could do so.

Kucuk explained

Hasan Kafaoglu, another suspect, described himself as a transporter hired to deliver unspecified goods to a museum in Ankara for $140 (₺5,000). He stated, “I didn’t know it was a historical artifact. If I had known, I would not have agreed. I regret my involvement.”

Mustafa Kara said he joined the delivery effort at Kafaoglu’s request. Kara stated, “I only wanted to help transport the item to a museum. If we intended to sell it, we wouldn’t have traveled to Ankara. Our aim was to deliver it to the authorities.”

History of 1,500-year-old priest statue found in Türkiye

The priest statue has a long and complicated history. Law enforcement originally recovered it in 2010 when they stopped four individuals in Nevsehir attempting to sell historical artifacts.

Authorities handed over the statue to the Yalvac Museum, where it remained until it was stolen from the museum’s garden in 2017. Seven years later, the priest statue resurfaced in Ankara under suspicious circumstances.

The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities revealed that some of the suspects have prior records of fraud and forgery, raising questions about their intentions regarding the artifact.

Police have secured the statue, and it awaits its return to a museum.