Türkiye, UN body to protect heritage in Europe’s southeast

ISTANBUL

 The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have launched a new regional project aimed at strengthening the protection of cultural heritage and preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural assets across Southeastern Europe.

 The initiative was formally introduced at a ceremony held at the Tarık Zafer Tunaya Cultural Center in Istanbul. The program began with a light projection show on the historic Galata Tower, followed by the screening of an introductory video outlining the project’s objectives.

Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gökhan Yazgı said Türkiye has significantly enhanced its capacity to combat cultural property smuggling through stronger institutional coordination and a more systematic approach.

He emphasized that the restructuring of the ministry’s anti-smuggling unit into a dedicated directorate had improved operational efficiency and allowed for more specialized national and international engagement.

He added that Türkiye has been intensifying cooperation between law enforcement agencies, including police, gendarmerie, customs authorities and judicial bodies, to ensure a comprehensive fight against organized trafficking networks.

Türkiye prevents more than 1 million historical artifacts, most of them coins, from being smuggled abroad each year.