Turkey repatriates 55 smuggled Iranian artifacts
Turkey returned 55 ancient artifacts of Iranian origin that were illicitly transported into the country. The collection, which had been seized by Turkish authorities in the eastern city of Erzurum, was handed over to Iranian diplomatic representatives in June 2024.
Now, following coordination between Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the artifacts have been transported via a land route and delivered to the cultural authorities of West Azarbaijan Province, ILNA reported.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the repatriation process was set in motion after Iran’s Consulate General in Erzurum provided intelligence on a confiscated trove of cultural and historical objects. Images of the seized artifacts were promptly sent to the General Directorate of Museums for expert evaluation and authentication. These relics, smuggled out of Iran through illicit channels, had been recovered in the Turkish provinces of Erzurum and Erzincan.
Once specialists confirmed that several of the items were undeniably linked to Iran’s rich cultural heritage, Tehran formally requested their return under the 1970 UNESCO Convention. This demand was reinforced by a bilateral agreement between Turkey and Iran aimed at curbing the illegal trafficking of cultural assets. In line with this accord, a formal handover ceremony took place at the Erzurum Museum, where the artifacts were officially transferred to the Iranian Consulate by the Director-General of Cultural Heritage and Museums of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, alongside the Deputy Governor of Erzurum.
The repatriated collection consists of a sword believed to date back to the Sassanian era, animal figurines characteristic of the Iron and Bronze Ages, glass and metal bowls, a copper ewer, and 42 historical coins.