6th-century statue taken from Türkiye to England returned

Originating from the ancient city of Miletus in Aydın and dating back to the sixth century B.C., a kore torso, set to be sold at an auction in England, has been delivered to the Turkish Embassy in London to be repatriated through Türkiye’s efforts.

Ambassador Osman Koray Ertaş, Zeynep Boz, head of the Department of Combating Smuggling at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, and officials from London’s Metropolitan Police attended the handover ceremony at the Turkish Embassy.

Ertaş, speaking at the event, emphasized the shared responsibility of preserving historical artifacts in their countries of origin. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between the Metropolitan Police’s unit responsible for art and historical artifacts and Turkish institutions.

Stating that Türkiye and the U.K. are strategic partners, Ertaş said in a statement to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent that they achieved results after a process that has been ongoing for months.

Ertaş said that under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and with the active efforts of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Interior, they are working to bring historical artifacts back to Türkiye that were illicitly transported all over the world.

Stating that they actively and effectively utilize administrative and legal avenues for this purpose, the enjoy also explained that the kore torso is a piece originating from the ancient city of Miletus in Aydın.

Ertaş expressed, “Through collaboration with the United Kingdom police, we are repatriating this beautiful artifact back to its rightful place, bringing it to our homeland.”

Boz noted that the Miletus-origin artifact is the body part of an archaic-period female statue.

Emphasizing the extensive nature of London’s art market and the need to monitor numerous sales, Boz explained that ministry teams examine the artifacts sold at auctions and their historical background.

“In the investigation of a sale conducted in 2021, we discovered that this torso was put up for sale. We submitted various reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These reports brought the matter to the attention of the concerned country. The Metropolitan Police addressed this issue with the auction house that offered the torso for sale. Ultimately, through the documents we provided and the reports proving the Anatolian origin of the torso, its return to Türkiye has been secured,” Boz explained.

Commenting on recent news about missing or stolen artifacts from museums in England, Boz said: “Museum management is a challenging task worldwide. When humans are involved, one must consider all possibilities. In such cases, conducting effective risk management in museums is essential. Of course, despite every effort, we may encounter various unfortunate incidents. Currently, we observe that museums in England are facing such distressing and regrettable situations. As cultural professionals, we are not in a position to rejoice in these matters. Any harm to a cultural asset, its transfer to the wrong hands or its easy sale as if it were any commodity, especially if stolen, is not acceptable to us.”

“The efforts for the return of exhibited artworks in England will continue without slowing down,” stated Boz. She also emphasized Türkiye’s collaboration with other countries on historical artifacts, expressing readiness to support England in this regard.

Referring to agreements regarding the detection and return of stolen artworks, Boz said: “We would not hesitate to engage in the same collaboration with England or any museum.”

She also mentioned that the efforts for the return of Turkish-origin artworks displayed in English museums will persist, saying: “We can’t abandon these endeavors.”

Boz noted ongoing investigations by museums to determine whether there are Turkish artworks among those lost or stolen from English museums.

“We have agreed with them to conduct necessary examinations and provide information about several specific artworks we inquired about. We will investigate the illicit origins of certain artworks and share the results with them,” she said.