Interpol-wanted artifact seized in major Istanbul anti-smuggling operation PHOTO

A historical artifact that had been sought by Interpol for two decades has been recovered in Istanbul during a sweeping anti-smuggling operation that also led to the seizure of thousands of valuable antiquities and the arrest of fifteen individuals suspected of trafficking cultural heritage items.

The most significant recovery in the operation was a calligraphic panel created by renowned Ottoman-era calligrapher Mehmet Sami Efendi, dated between 1837 and 1912. The panel was stolen from the Üsküdar Defterdar Tahir Efendi Mosque on February 2, 2005, and had been on Interpol’s wanted list for 20 years, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

In operations targeting antiquities traffickers in Istanbul, thousands of artifacts were seized, including a calligraphic panel written by the calligrapher Mehmet Sami Efendi. Fifteen traffickers aiming to smuggle these artifacts abroad were arrested.

The operations were conducted by teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Smuggling Crimes Investigation Branch between June and September across five districts: Fatih, Şişli, Esenyurt, Bağcılar, Kadıköy, and Beşiktaş.

Authorities confirmed that the recovered artifact — the Mehmet Sami Efendi panel — had long been a priority target for international law enforcement and cultural protection agencies. Its recovery marks one of the most significant cultural restitutions in recent Turkish history.

Among the seized artifacts, in addition to the calligraphy panel, there were a total of 2,627 coins made of gold, silver, bronze, and nickel, which are believed to belong to the periods of the Greek/Roman Empire, as well as a mosaic piece with human figures. Additionally, a total of 454 objects, including pişot, dagger, sword, candlestick, candle holder, goblet, seal, icon, etc., which are understood to belong to the Ottoman Empire period, and jewelry in the form of bracelets made of 47 pieces of ivory were also seized.

The extensive list of seized items spans multiple historical periods and empires, including the Greek, Roman, Abbasid, Umayyad, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman eras. Items range from mosaics and coins to rare weaponry, religious icons, and ivory jewelry — many of which were likely destined for the black market abroad.

Following the legal and investigative procedures, the recovered items will be handed over to state cultural institutions for preservation and display.

The seized historical and cultural artifacts were shown to the press. These artifacts would be delivered to the General Directorate of Foundations, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums Directorate, the Istanbul Hagia Sophia Historical and Experience Museum, and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum Directorate after the necessary procedures.

By Vafa Guliyeva