Turkish president, Hungarian premier view artifacts returned to Turkey

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban attended an exhibition containing 101 historical artifacts returned to Turkey from Hungary.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had requested the return of the artifacts from the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts after examinations found on them the same yellow sediments that were on other artifacts seized by Turkish forces in 2015 before they could be smuggled out of the country.

Hungarian security forces had seized the latest party of artifacts while they were being transported on a truck driven by a Turkish national and subsequently informed Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Among the artifacts, some of which were from the Bronze Age Urartu civilization in present-day eastern and central Turkey, were a caldron adorned with two bull heads, various weapons, and harnesses.

One of the harnesses has on it a tag indicating that it belonged to Urartian King Menua (B.C. 810-785), with another belonging to Urartian King Argisthi I (B.C. 785-763)

Fourteen Roman-era gold coins were also returned to Turkey, while examinations are underway to determine the exact details and origin of some of the other artifacts.

Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy was also present during the visit to the exhibition.

Hungary on Feb. 25, 2021 returned Turkey a total of 413 historical artifacts of various types.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk and Beyza Binnur Donmez