German police hope stolen Cypriot artifacts will be returned

A German investigator, dealing with a case of stolen cultural heritage artifacts from Cyprus’ Turkish occupied areas, hopes that these will be returned to their lawful owners.
Addressing an event on the destruction of Cyprus’ cultural heritage, as a result of the continuing Turkish occupation of the island’s northern part, Walter Moser, investigator with the Bavarian police force, said the case of stolen religious artifacts is before the courts in Munich and the Federal judicial authorities.
He said they will decide if and when the stolen property will be returned to Cyprus.
The case pending before the courts involves Turkish born art dealer Aydin Dikmen, facing charges of illegal export, possession and attempts to sell property belonging to the church of Cyprus.
Moser expressed hope that the case will soon conclude and that the objects will be returned to Cyprus.
Speaking at the same event, professor Klaus Gallas said that the largest number of stolen mainly religious treasures are in Munich and the German authorities have yet to return them to Cyprus, in spite of the fact that their origin has been established.
According to the church of Cyprus, some 500 churches have been either destroyed or pillaged since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Some religious relics have been bought back, others were returned to the church after lengthy legal proceedings and others are still at large.