The approximately 2,700-year-old Bintepeler necklace, which was smuggled abroad from Turkey, is being returned to Turkey. Necklace stolen from Turkish Aegean province of Manisa, smuggled into US in 1982.

A 2,700-year-old gold necklace displayed at a US museum has been returned to Turkish authorities.

The necklace from the Ancient Kingdom of Lydia was officially handed over to Turkish officials in a ceremony at the Turkish Consulate in Boston.

About 20-centimeter-long (7.8 inches) necklace is made of carnelian beads shaped like pomegranates, Hilal Demirel, Türkiye's cultural and promotional attache in New York, told Anadolu.

The necklace was stolen from the Turkish Aegean province of Manisa and smuggled into the US in 1982.

It had been displayed at a museum in Boston for many years.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that 20 historical artifacts have returned to Türkiye since the beginning of this year.

"We are bringing another historical artifact from Anatolia back to Türkiye, raising the total to 21," Ersoy said on X.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a statement the necklace will be brought to Türkiye in the coming days.

The ministry added that the necklace, which holds significant historical and cultural value for the region, is dated to the 6th or 5th centuries BCE.