TEHRAN: Turkey has returned 55 historical artifacts to Iran as part of an agreement signed between the two neighboring countries last year to combat the trafficking of cultural property.
During a ceremony at Erzurum Archaeology Museum on Tuesday, Turkish officials handed over the artifacts to Iran’s Consulate in the eastern Turkish city.
Director-Generals of Turkey’s Cultural Heritage and Museums Birol Incecikoz said the repatriated items, including 42 coins, a sword belonging to the ancient Sasanian dynasty, a bronze jug and 11 artifacts from the Bronze Age and Islamic eras, were proven to belong to Iran.
He also noted that Turkey has been carrying out comprehensive work on artifact smuggling, saying, “Every cultural artifact is the jewel of the country it belongs to. It must be exhibited in the country” of its origin.
“The return of cultural assets to the lands where they belong to will be our motto in all the work we will do as a country from now on, especially in the fight against the smuggling of historical artifacts,” he added.
Iranian Consul General in Erzurum Mohammad Ebrahimi thanked Turkey for finding and returning the artifacts, highlighting that Iran is an ancient country with a significant number of monuments registered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
