Turkey to introduce ancient statue

ISTANBUL

The Hittite sculpture was sent to the Hatay Archeology Museum to be restored by a professional team.

Turkey is set to unveil another ancient statue Aug. 6, following the reveal of a Hittite sculpture that made headlines several weeks ago, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay.

The minister spoke during a visit to Sanliurfa, and said the ministry "would try to introduce another gift to Turkey" on Monday.

"Don't ask me where it came from or what it is," the minister said. "It is very special though. Just follow the [news] agencies on Monday."

Gunay had earlier presented a newly discovered Hittite sculpture in Hatay’s Reyhanlı district.

The sculpture shows motifs similar to other Anatolian figures, but is very different from other discoveries uncovered so far, said Günay. Although it is made of basalt stone, the eyes of the sculpture are artificial.

The Hittite sculpture was sent to the Hatay Archeology Museum to be restored by a professional team. The excavation team working at Tell Tayinat comes from all over the world, including Canada, Turkey, and the United States.