Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Turkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, over 26,665 historical artifacts and cultural assets have been recovered since 1980.
These items were smuggled abroad but have now been successfully tracked and brought back by Turkiye’s cultural heritage anti-smuggling teams.
Over the years, countless artifacts were stolen from Anatolia and smuggled out of the country. Since 1980, Turkiye has carried out 162 operations across 18 countries to retrieve these priceless assets.
The countries where the most artifacts were recovered include Germany, Croatia, Bulgaria, the UK, the United States, and Serbia.
According to official records, Germany returned the largest number of artifacts 8,670 followed by Croatia with 4,147, the UK with 3,744, Bulgaria with 3,061, the US with 2,618, and Serbia with 1,865.
Turkiye remains committed to preserving its cultural heritage and continues its efforts to bring back these invaluable artifacts, which reflect the nation’s rich history and culture.
