CAPPADOCIA — Greece returned 1,055 ancient coins to Turkey during the first Turkey-Greece Culture Forum in Cappadocia in June 2026. The return occurred after Greek authorities seized the coins in 2025.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry stated that the coins had been identified as illegally removed from Turkey. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy signed an agreement at the forum. The ministers discussed future cooperation in culture and strategies to combat antiquities trafficking.

During the forum, the ministers visited the Tokali Church in Cappadocia and reviewed the status of its restoration work. Mendoni said, "The launch of the first Greece- Turkey Cultural Forum here, in Cappadocia, a place of unique historical and cultural significance, where peoples, traditions, religions and civilizations have met for centuries, leaving an extremely dense and multi-layered imprint on the history of the wider region, lends special symbolism to our meeting today."

Mendoni emphasized the role of culture in the relationship between the two countries. "Culture is not just another area of bilateral cooperation. It is perhaps the deepest and most enduring field of communication between our societies," she said. She added, "History has brought our two peoples together for centuries, creating interactions, exchanges, shared experiences and mutual influences that have been imprinted in memory, art, architecture, language and the very cities and landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean." Mendoni also stated, "Its protection is not only a national obligation. It is a universal responsibility. It is an act of respect for historical memory and future generations."

Ersoy reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to supporting Greece in its efforts to return the Parthenon Statues from the United Kingdom. He stated that Turkey supports resolutions concerning the return of artifacts to their home countries. Ersoy said, "Combatting the illegal trafficking of antiquities would be a gain not only for both countries but for humanity's shared memory and the scientific world as a whole."