By Sena Guler
ANKARA (AA) – Iznik tiles which are hundreds of years old and a tile panel belonging to a mosque in southern Turkey were found in the Netherlands, a Turkish political party spokesman said on Thursday.
“Two of 223 (pieces of) 500-year-old Iznik tiles and a tile panel stolen from the Adana Grand Mosque during its restoration 19 years ago came out in the Netherlands,” Omer Celik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party, said on Twitter.
Celik said that stealing art and cultural assets is “a great crime and immorality”.
Turkish institutions are closely following the stolen assets of the country, he said, adding that they ensure the return of the assets to Turkey.
Thanking all authorities taking part in the repatriation of art or cultural heritage from around the world, Celik congratulated those who spend great effort in that cause.
“Like many of our assets, the magnificent Grand Mosque in Adana will regain its beauties,” he added.
Iznik tiles, named after a town in today’s western Turkey, were often used to decorate palaces, mosques, and other significant structures in old times.
