PARIS
Saying that the artifacts smuggled from Turkey would not be legal even if they would be gifted to museums, Gunay added smuggled items should be sent back.
Gunay, who is in Paris for Izmir's EXPO 2020 candidacy presentation, told AA correspondent that they were having controversy with France and some other countries on smuggled artifacts from Turkey.
He said that they formally requested the tomb in the courtyard of the Hagia Sophia from France and received a gentle but not persuasive answer. Gunay said they unofficially determined some artifacts at the Louvre Museum in Paris as well and talks on those artifacts were continuing.
Saying that important artifacts from the US, Germany, UK, Bulgaria and Serbia brought back Turkey recently, Gunay reminded a golden-winged seahorse brooch, the most important piece in King Croesus' treasures, stolen from a museum in Turkey was found in Germany. Turkish and German officials agreed that the brooch belonged to Turkey and the legal procedure was under way, he said and added that he hoped the valuable piece would be brought to Turkey soon.
Gunay said Turkey unfortunately had not initiated a campaign in order to bring back the smuggled artifacts but he hopes in time, with the institutionalization of the archeology ethic, many valuable items would be brought back.
Reporting by Omur Uzelce
