The artefacts of cultural heritage smuggled out of Türkiye

Inasmuch as culture and society are two inseparable factors, the continuity of culture and its transmission to future generations are only possible through the preservation of cultural heritage. Along with the physical damage to which they are exposed, cultural heritage elements are also subject to displacement and illegal trafficking due to commercial concerns. As a region considerably rich in cultural heritage, Anatolia has long been exploited by acts of plundering, theft as well as illegal excavations and private property transferring. This study aims to make an assessment and provide a status report regarding cultural heritage elements which were previously smuggled out of Turkey but now either have been retrieved or reclaimed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. Utilizing the document analysis pattern out of existing qualitative research methods, the study is based on the report issued by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with file number 555 and dated as 2018, along with the secondary data provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. In light of this research, it was discovered that 18357 pieces of cultural heritage had been retrieved by Turkey between the years of 1980 and 2021. The study also analyzes the cultural heritage elements which are currently in the process of retrieval; and the conclusion chapter provides certain findings and solutions, in addition to putting an emphasis on the fact that the countries protecting their own cultures also bear the responsibility of preserving the culture which is the common heritage of humanity.