Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy unveiled 100 cultural artifacts returned to Türkiye from the United States at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, where he also inaugurated the exhibition "No Escape: Boubon,” bringing together works from the ancient city that had been scattered across different countries and collections.

Ersoy emphasized that scientific evidence and international cooperation had helped bring Anatolia’s cultural heritage back to its rightful home.

"Our aim is not simply to take artifacts from one display case and put them in another, but to reassess them within the stories and cultural context to which they belong,” he said.

At a news conference held at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Ersoy outlined the repatriation efforts, the findings of scientific research and the results achieved through international cooperation.

Following the event, the minister toured the museum with the delegation and examined the returned artifacts. The program was also attended by Matthew Bogdanos, assistant district attorney for Manhattan.

US auction

Ersoy said the ministry had taken action in May 2026 after a U.S.-based auction house put Anatolian artifacts up for sale. Scientific data and documentation compiled by the ministry were shared with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As a result, the sale was halted and the artifacts were returned to Türkiye, he said.

Horoztepe artifacts return

Among the 100 repatriated cultural assets, 40 artifacts originating from Horoztepe in the Erbaa district of Tokat province hold particular significance, Ersoy said. Dating from 2300 to 2000 B.C., the objects reflect the advanced metalworking skills of Bronze Age Anatolia.

The collection includes ceremonial musical instruments, weapons and metal vessels. Ersoy said professor Tahsin Özgüç’s research helped establish their origins by documenting their distinctive shapes and craftsmanship.

Researchers also examined records of the illegal excavations at Horoztepe in 1953, as well as documents concerning the finds recovered from the site. These were cross-checked with archival records tracing how the artifacts were taken out of Türkiye and later became part of museum collections, Ersoy said.

Ersoy said a combination of scientific research and historical evidence had finally made their return possible, nearly 70 years later.

Architectural plaques

The second major group of returned artifacts comprises 44 terracotta architectural plaques from Düver village in Burdur province. Dating to the sixth century B.C., the pieces belong to the Archaic period, Ersoy said.

Once used to decorate the roofs of buildings, the plaques were identified through comparisons with other known examples, taking into account their designs, shapes and stylistic details. Researchers also examined archival documents and museum records to trace where the pieces had ended up over the years, he said.

The latest repatriation from the J. Paul Getty Museum follows the return of other Düver artifacts from the United States in 2022, Denmark in 2024 and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 2025, Ersoy noted.

The newly returned pieces will be brought together with other Düver plaques in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums' collection as part of a forthcoming project.

"Each piece reminds us of the looting of the past, but also shows how determination can bring what was scattered back together,” he said.

Aphrodisias portrait

Another notable piece among the returned artifacts is a portrait from the ancient city of Aphrodisias. Ministry experts traced its connection to the site and followed its trail through collections abroad, Ersoy said.

Researchers compared archival documents with old collection records, finding a crucial clue in a 1976 incident report that later helped advance the repatriation process.

Ersoy quoted a passage from the prosecutor's report: "The investigation has revealed that other artifacts besides those identified and documented were also stolen.”

When examined alongside archaeological evidence, the report helped researchers piece together the portrait's history and provide concrete evidence to support Türkiye's claim for its return, he said.

The 100 repatriated artifacts also include distinctive pieces such as theater masks and goddess figurines. Ersoy said they have now been reunited with other elements of the cultural heritage to which they belong.

Reunited in exhibition

The exhibition "No Escape: Boubon” tells the story of a decadeslong effort to combat the illicit trade in cultural artifacts, focusing on the return of bronze sculptures looted from the ancient city of Boubon, near İbecik village in Burdur's Gölhisar district, Ersoy said.

The sculptures once stood in the city's Sebasteion, a monument dedicated to Roman emperors and members of the imperial family. They were broken up during illegal excavations in the 1960s and smuggled out of Türkiye, he said.

Their heads, bodies and limbs ended up in different countries and collections, but have now been reunited in the exhibition.

Among the Boubon works returned to Türkiye are sculptures of Roman emperors Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Marcus Aurelius, Ersoy noted.

He said the effort to trace the sculptures began under the leadership of professor Jale Inan, whose research brought together inscriptions, statue bases and sculptures held abroad, laying the groundwork for today's repatriation efforts.

Journalist and author Özgen Acar also played a key role in keeping the case alive through documents and eyewitness accounts. Investigations by New York Times journalists Graham Bowley and Tom Mashberg further helped pave the way for the artifacts' return, Ersoy added.

Scientific analysis

Ersoy said researchers also drew on accounts from residents of İbecik village who witnessed the sculptures' discovery and removal, comparing their recollections with old photographs and museum records.

Another important piece of evidence came from the sculptures themselves. Researchers compared the marks on their feet with the corresponding fittings on their pedestals. In the case of the Marcus Aurelius statue, the foot mold matched the recesses in its base, helping establish its connection to Boubon, Ersoy said.

Soil and lead isotope analyses provided further evidence. Ersoy thanked professor Ernst Pernicka, who contributed to the research through his work at the Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Germany.

He also said the repatriation efforts had given new impetus to archaeological work at Boubon. Excavations, which resumed in 2023, are being conducted by Dr. Düzgün Tarkan and his team under the coordination of the Burdur Archaeology Museum.

‘Right and just'

Ersoy said the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and HSI had been instrumental in turning scientific evidence into legal action. Thanking Matthew Bogdanos and his team, he said:

"This exhibition is the strongest testament to how Mr. Bogdanos and his team have helped change the global approach to the return of cultural property. They did more than bring artifacts back to their rightful home; they also stood up for what is right and just.”

The minister also thanked ministry staff, researchers and others who contributed to the effort, singling out Culture and Tourism Specialist Egemen Batu Varol, who curated the exhibition.

He also acknowledged the support of the Foreign Ministry and Türkiye's Consulate General in New York, as well as Turkish Airlines, which brought the artifacts back to Türkiye free of charge and ensured their safe transportation.

Stressing that repatriation is about more than simply bringing physical objects back, Ersoy said: "Our aim is not simply to move artifacts from one display case to another, but to understand and present them within the stories and cultural context to which they belong.”

He added that Türkiye would continue its efforts to combat the illicit trade in cultural property.

"We will keep tracing cultural artifacts illegally taken from Anatolia and working to bring them back to their rightful home through scientific, legal and diplomatic efforts,” he said.