Switzerland repatriates stolen 37 artifacts from Turkey

37 valuable artifacts, including pieces from the Urartu period and a Roman period deer statue, returned the Turkey from Switzerland.

A ceremony was held Wednesday marking the ancient artifacts' return at the Turkish Embassy in Bern, with Swiss officials attending.

The artifacts were mostly bronze objects from the Kingdom of Urartu, which ruled lands centered in present-day eastern Türkiye between the 9th and 7th centuries BC.

A 6,000-year-old Kusura-type idol is the oldest among the 37 artifacts.

The return of the artifacts occurred under a bilateral agreement signed on Nov. 15 last year that aims to prevent the illicit transfer, import and repatriation of cultural properties.

The return of 37 smuggled ancient artifacts from Switzerland to their home country, Türkiye, is just "a start," Türkiye's ambassador to Bern told Anadolu in an interview.

"This is a start, and the Swiss side has conveyed this to us. I believe that our cooperation in this field will continue to increase in the coming period," said Emine Ece Ozbayoglu Acarsoy.