The relationship between Greece and Turkey has often been marked by historical disputes and regional tensions.
From territorial disagreements to questions of cultural heritage, the two nations have frequently clashed. However, shared history and a mutual respect for their ancient past occasionally bring them together.
A recent collaboration over the return of over 1,000 ancient coins signals a step toward cultural cooperation, even amidst lingering differences.
Confiscated in 2019
Greece returned 1,055 ancient silver coins to Turkey during a ceremony at Athens’ Numismatic Museum.
The coins, confiscated by Greek customs officials in 2019, had been illegally imported into the country, according to Hotnews.
Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni emphasized the importance of returning cultural artifacts to their places of origin.
“These 1,055 silver coins were part of an illegally imported hoard,” Mendoni explained. “All antiquities exported illegally must be returned to their countries of origin.”
The coins are believed to have been part of a hidden treasure in Asia Minor, located in present-day Turkey.
Dating back to the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE, many of the coins were tetradrachms, silver coins minted in ancient Athens and widely used across the Mediterranean.
The repatriation follows Turkey’s recent support for Greece’s campaign to retrieve the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum.
The marbles, taken from Athens in the early 19th century, have been a point of contention between Greece and Britain for decades.
During a UNESCO meeting in June, Turkey publicly endorsed Greece’s claim, stating that no evidence exists in Ottoman archives to justify Lord Elgin’s removal of the marbles.
Mendoni thanked Turkey for its backing, highlighting the significance of international cooperation in cultural heritage disputes.
Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy attended the event, marking a rare moment of unity between the neighboring nations.
“Such actions not only honor the past but pave the way for future collaboration,” Mendoni noted.
