Turkey has returned six ancient cuneiform clay tablets to Iraq as part of ongoing efforts to protect cultural heritage and combat artifact smuggling.

The tablets, dating back to the Third Dynasty of Ur (22nd–21st centuries BC), Old Akkadian (24th–23rd centuries BC), and Old Babylonian periods, contain economic, administrative, and religious records. They were handed over to Iraqi authorities during a ceremony at the Republic Museum in Ankara on Monday.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gokhan Yazgi and Iraq’s Ambassador to Turkey Majid Abdulreda Hassan Al-Lachmawi attended the ceremony. Yazgi emphasized that Turkey treats the cultural values of other nations with the same respect as its own heritage.

“The contents, writing styles, and terminology of these tablets are directly related to centers in southern Iraq,” Yazgi said, adding that the artifacts provide invaluable insights, ranging from priest lists to daily transactions and livestock records.

Yazgi noted Turkey’s commitment to UNESCO’s 1970 Convention and UN Security Council resolutions 1483 and 2199, underscoring that protecting cultural assets requires international cooperation. He stated that the return of these six tablets brings the total number of Iraqi artifacts repatriated by Turkey to 97, with previous returns in 2010, 2019, and 2022.

Ambassador Lachmawi expressed gratitude for Turkey’s support, describing the handover as a sign of friendship and a testament to both countries’ determination to protect cultural heritage and curb illegal artifact trafficking.

One tablet, written in the Sumerian script, lists priestly names and originates from Umma in southern Iraq. Another, from the Old Akkadian period, records payments for sheep and goats, while a third details daily transactions under King Ibbi-Sin of the Third Dynasty of Ur. The artifacts were analyzed and classified by Prof. Selim Ferruh Adali.