Türkiye welcomes return of cultural assets from Italy

Ancient terracotta artifacts, produced in Anatolia, were delivered to the Turkish Embassy in Rome by the Italian authorities

A ceremony held at the Embassy in Rome marked the return of cultural assets from Italy to Türkiye. These artifacts, identified as belonging to Türkiye through collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Italian authorities, were celebrated during the event.

At the ceremony, Major Claudio Mauti, director of the Department of Protection of Cultural Assets and Combating Smuggling of Antiquities at the Florence Gendarmerie Command, along with his delegation, presented 10 terracotta artifacts originating from Anatolia – dating back to 3000 B.C. to the Iron Age – and discovered in Italy. The artifacts were handed over to the Turkish Ambassador to Rome Omer Gucuk.

Bulent Gonultas, deputy director general of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who traveled to Rome to receive the artifacts to Türkiye, said in an interview with Anadolu Agency, “Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Italian security units and the Florence Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2022, we are receiving today the artifacts are of Anatolian origin that we have academically supported and agreed upon with Italian authorities. We received 10 artifacts and one fragment (a broken piece of an artifact) produced in a period extending from 3000 B.C. to the Iron Age from the Italian authorities today at our Embassy in Rome. We have brought highly significant artifacts to our country, and we will continue our efforts in this regard.”

Source: Newsroom