Turkey Gets Back 348 Artifacts Earlier Smuggled Abroad, Gunay

ANKARA - Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay said Saturday Turkey has got back 348 artifacts earlier smuggled abroad.
"Smuggled artifacts should be returned to their homelands and be exhibited there," Gunay told A.A correspondent.
Gunay said his ministry is trying to achieve this goal. "We will try to develop new policies and approaches without harming our relations with foreign countries."

-ARTIFACTS BROUGHT TO TURKEY THIS YEAR-

Below is the list of artifacts brought to Turkey this year:
- 316 artifacts dating to Roman and Byzantine eras. They were seized in a bus in Austria last year,
- 23 artifacts dating to Roman era confiscated in United Arab Emirates (UAE),
- A ring from Roman era that was smuggled from ancient city of Ephesus to Britain,
- Four coins seized in Munich, Germany,
- Two marble stele pieces confiscated in Nuremberg, Germany,
- A marble man's head smuggled from Agora depot in Izmir in 2004. It was brought from Germany,
- A bronze piece of sculpture smuggled from ancient city of Laodiceia (Denizli). It was seized in Switzerland.

-PIECES IN FOREIGN MUSEUMS-

On the other hand, many artifacts were smuggled from Turkey and are actually being exhibited in museums in Germany, Russia, Croatia, USA, Denmark, Italy, France, Switzerland, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Britain.
Turkey continues its efforts to get back these artifacts including Bogazkoy sphinx, Bergama Zeus altar, Troy treasures, Lidyan artifacts, Koran pages.

-ARTIFACTS STILL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES-

Also, the upper part of Herakles statue, china from Sultan Selim II Tomb, artifacts from Tatarli Tumulus in central province of Afyonkarahisar, silver cross and gold bracelet are some of the artifacts Turkey wants to get back.
Turkey is also seeking some of smuggled artifacts through Interpol. They are marble emperor statue head from Balikesir's Sarayli hamlet and a head piece from a sculpture from Kocaeli Museum.
Meanwhile, Turkish universities are carrying out 86 of archeological excavations in Turkey, while foreign universities are conducting 43 of them