Turkey's anti-smuggling teams, operating under the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, have returned 28,811 historical artifacts and cultural assets to the country over a period of 46 years.
Since 1980, these teams have conducted 176 operations in 20 countries to recover looted and stolen items.
Total artifacts and cultural assets returned to Turkey over 46 years.
Return by country
According to the 'Yurt Dışından İadesi Sağlanan Eserler' (Artifacts Returned from Abroad) data of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Germany ranks first in the number of artifacts returned to Turkey, with 8,670 items.
According to the same Ministry data, other significant contributors include Croatia with 4,147 artifacts, the UK with 3,750, Bulgaria with 3,061, the USA with 2,747, and Serbia with 1,865.
Notable recent returns
In 2026, a marble statue head identified as originating from the Smyrna Agora excavations in Turkey was voluntarily returned from the USA.
Tiles stolen from Adana Ulu Mosque in 2002 and 2003 were returned from Spain, while Iznik tile panels stolen from Sultanahmet Mosque and Rüstem Paşa Mosque in Istanbul were returned from the UK.
A mosaic panel originating from the Zeugma Ancient City in Turkey was also returned from the USA.
