U.S. returns to Turkey a statue of Heracles

Both parties, who were of the same century statue of Heracles II may now reunited as the United States has agreed to return to the Turkish authorities the top piece.
According to the Turkish Minister of Culture, Ertugrul Günay, the statue of Heracles, 200 kilos, human dimensions and great archaeological importance, yesterday went back to their country of origin in the plane of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was visiting New York for the UN general assembly.

For two decades Ankara claimed the top half of the statue to the United States, which also came from the archaeological site of Perge and had been taken illegally from Turkey. On their website, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston reports that he bought in 1981 to a resident in Germany who claimed that his family had acquired the object to a German art dealer.

PRESENTATION / Finally, last Thursday, the Boston museum and the Turkish authorities closed the restitution agreement. "The statue will be conveyed in the coming days the Antalya Archaeological Museum, where it will be presented at a conference to our Turkish and foreign guests," added the Turkish minister. With an impressive archaeological heritage, Turkey is striving for years to recover many of his early works sold illegally.