A handover ceremony was held at the New York Turkish House as part of the return to Turkey of 14 works of historical and artistic value seized in the USA.
NEW YORK (AA) – The ceremony held in the reception hall of the Turkish House was attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey Gökhan Yazgı, Consul General of New York Ambassador Muhittin Ahmet Hazal, officials from the US Department of Homeland Security, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, THY New York Manager Emre İsmailoğlu and members of the Turkish and American press.
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Yazgı thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and its team for their cooperation with Turkish institutions in the seizure of the artifacts, and among the 14 artifacts returned was one that has an important place in world archaeological literature, He stated that 1 bronze statue and 2 bronze statue heads originating from the Boubon Ancient City in Gölhisar district of Burdur were found.
Underlining that the return of cultural assets to their countries of origin is not just about returning historical and aesthetic objects to the relevant countries, Yazgı said, “I hope that the contribution of the repatriation efforts to the universal culture of humanity will be better understood over time.”
Saying, “Cultural heritage is the only way to celebrate and embrace our differences, as well as maintain respect,” Yazgı gave a message to those involved in artifact smuggling with the words, “there is no escape.”
Yazgı stated that the largest piece among the returned artifacts, the “dressed bronze female statue,” was being unearthed for the first time, and emphasized the importance of the support provided by American officials, Turkish missions in the US, and THY officials in this process.
– It can take years to identify stolen artifacts
Consul General Muhittin Ahmet Hazal, who recently started his duty in New YorkHe said that it was his first time attending a handover ceremony where historical artifacts were returned and that he was “very impressed.”
In her speech at the ceremony, Hazal said that although the seized artifacts belong to Turkey, they are “the common history of all humanity living in other geographies” and that anyone who wishes can come to Turkey and see them in the museums where they will be exhibited.
Hazal thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office officials for their assistance in the return process and said, “You have worked very devotedly and motivated to have these historical artifacts returned to Turkey. I am very impressed, I salute and congratulate you for this.”
Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking UnitHe stated that the historical artifacts represent a common cultural heritage, however, “they belong to the place where they were removed and should be returned there.”
Bogdanos, who stated that for decades some collectors “thought the law did not apply to them,” said, “Now is the time to do what is right,” and promised that he would continue to work to return stolen historical artifacts to their places.
– After 40 years of work, the return was made
Fourteen pieces of Anatolian cultural assets, seized as a result of the meticulous surveillance carried out within the scope of the cooperation carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the US Homeland Security Investigations Unit (HSI), were received with mutual signatures.
It was announced that among the 14 artifacts that were returned, there was 1 bronze statue and 2 bronze statue heads originating from the Boubon Ancient City, which have an important place in world archaeological literature and were unearthed during excavations in the İbecik village of Gölhisar district of Burdur province.
It was stated that approximately 40 years of scientific studies and analyses were carried out for the return of the artifact called the “bronze young male head”, which was taken abroad without permission as a result of illegal excavations.
It was shared that another artifact originating from the ancient city of Boubon, a bronze male head with a beard, was brought back to Turkey as a result of the work carried out while it was being exhibited in a private museum.
Among the artifacts that were brought back to Turkey, there are also three coins from the Byzantine period, two daggers from the 18th and 19th century Ottoman period, three terracotta pots from various periods, a piece of a jewelry box dating back to the 11th century, and a terracotta lamp, which were smuggled out of the country during illegal excavations in the 1960s from the Ancient City of Boubon.
