Türkiye has once again backed Greece’s long-running demand for the return of the Elgin Marbles, telling a UNESCO meeting that there is no Ottoman imperial decree legitimizing the transfer of the sculptures from Athens to Britain.
During the 25th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee in Paris, the Turkish delegation — attending as an observer — rejected Britain’s longstanding argument that the artifacts were legally removed from the Parthenon during Ottoman rule.
The issue centers on a collection of ancient Greek sculptures taken from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin, then ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. The artifacts are currently displayed at the British Museum in London and have remained at the heart of a decades-long diplomatic dispute between Greece and Britain.
In its intervention at the UNESCO meeting, Türkiye stressed that no official Ottoman document or “sultan’s decree” authorizing the removal of the sculptures has ever been found. Ankara had made a similar statement during UNESCO’s previous session in 2024, arguing that returning the marbles to Greece would be the appropriate course of action.
The latest UNESCO committee decision marked a significant development in the dispute. For the first time, the committee officially described the sculptures as “an integral part of Greek cultural heritage” and called on Britain to cooperate with Greece on the reunification of the artifacts and their permanent display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Most countries participating in the session supported Greece’s demand for the return of the marbles.
Athens described the decision as a “historic diplomatic victory,” while Greek media widely highlighted Türkiye’s support, particularly Ankara’s repeated insistence that there is no Ottoman-era legal basis for the transfer of the sculptures to Britain.
Britain, however, continues to maintain that the marbles were acquired legally during the Ottoman period.
