Turkey Detains Suspected Historical Artefact Smugglers in Nationwide Raids

Turkish Police. Photo: EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

"The first historical artefact smuggling operation against income gained from smuggling in the history of the republic was launched in 30 cities, and 72 of the 96 people under suspicion were detained," Turkish Police said, Anadolu Agency reported.

The operation, codenamed Anatolia, was launched after a two-year investigation by KOM.

KOM units tracked artefacts that were smuggled abroad illegally as they sought to uncover the criminal network responsible.

Police said that 4,122 historical artefacts were seized in Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia in joint police operations as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry also found out that 52 smuggled artefacts were being made ready for sale in nine auction houses in Europe and the US were catalogued, and that 26 million Turkish lira (2.5 million euros) had been transferred to the smugglers.

Turkey, which has been home to many peoples including Lydians, Hittites, Thracians, Greeks, Romans and Selchuk and Ottoman Turks, is one of the most archeologically rich countries in the world.

Artefacts from numerous civilisations in Anatolia and Turkish Thrace have been targeted by smugglers for decades.

Ankara has been trying to recover historical artefacts that have been stolen and bring them back to the country.

According to the Turkish Tourism and Culture Ministry, since 2002, 4,200 historical artefacts which were smuggled and exhibited abroad have been returned to Turkey.