ANKARA: Twenty-four pieces of golden jewellery, uncovered at the ancient city of Troy and kept in a Pennsylvania museum were returned to Turkey on September 1, local media reported on Wednesday.

“Only such an event could make an excavation team leader or a culture minister as happy as I am now,” Ertugrul Gunay, culture and tourism minister, was quoted as saying by daily Milliyet.

Gunay did not hide his excitement at the return of the ancient jewellery, including earrings, pins and pendants, which he said Turkey had been working to get back since 2009.

The items were stolen in 1874 during the excavation led by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered the historic city of Troy in northwestern Turkey near the city of Canakkale, according to the daily.

They had been exhibited at the American Penn Museum since 1966.

“We have concluded a historical case,” said Gunay while exhibiting the objects at an Ankara archaeology museum during a press conference.