ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy speaks during a launching assembly for media introduction of artifacts brought back from abroad at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. Isparta Goksogut Municipality found Sidamara style sarcophagus broken into five pieces in the 1980s and brought it to the municipality, after which three main pieces along with smaller ones were brought and recorded into Isparta Museum. In 2015, Professor Volker Michael Strocka found the missing pieces of the sarcophagus, photographed by Prof. Mehmet Ozsait in 1987. Two pieces were present in the 1988 museum catalog of London’s Sotheby Auction House. This indicated that the missing pieces were stolen between 1987 and 1988. The issue was forwarded to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by Professor Musa Kadioglu, upon which Sotheby Auction House was contacted by Interpol-Europol and asked about the current owner. The auction house said they were sold to two people by one seller in 1989, but did not disclose the names of the owners due to confidentiality reasons. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Sidamara Type sarcophagus Fragment - marble, dates back to the end of the 2nd Century A.D, is displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. Isparta Goksogut Municipality found Sidamara style sarcophagus broken into five pieces in the 1980s and brought it to the municipality, after which three main pieces along with smaller ones were brought and recorded into Isparta Museum. In 2015, Professor Volker Michael Strocka found the missing pieces of the sarcophagus, photographed by Prof. Mehmet Ozsait in 1987. Two pieces were present in the 1988 museum catalog of London’s Sotheby Auction House. This indicated that the missing pieces were stolen between 1987 and 1988. The issue was forwarded to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by Professor Musa Kadioglu, upon which Sotheby Auction House was contacted by Interpol-Europol and asked about the current owner. The auction house said they were sold to two people by one seller in 1989, but did not disclose the names of the owners due to confidentiality reasons. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Sidamara Type sarcophagus Fragment - marble, dates back to the end of the 2nd Century A.D, is displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. Isparta Goksogut Municipality found Sidamara style sarcophagus broken into five pieces in the 1980s and brought it to the municipality, after which three main pieces along with smaller ones were brought and recorded into Isparta Museum. In 2015, Professor Volker Michael Strocka found the missing pieces of the sarcophagus, photographed by Prof. Mehmet Ozsait in 1987. Two pieces were present in the 1988 museum catalog of London’s Sotheby Auction House. This indicated that the missing pieces were stolen between 1987 and 1988. The issue was forwarded to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by Professor Musa Kadioglu, upon which Sotheby Auction House was contacted by Interpol-Europol and asked about the current owner. The auction house said they were sold to two people by one seller in 1989, but did not disclose the names of the owners due to confidentiality reasons. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 19: Artifacts, brought back from abroad, are displayed at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum following its introduction to media in Ankara, Turkey on February 19, 2020. Artifacts were introduced to the press in a launching assembly; with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy among the attendees. Following the efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Directory and London Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, the owner of the artifacts was contacted. The owner revoked his property rights on the artifacts and agreed to bring them back to Turkey. ( Ali Balıkçı - Anadolu Agency )