Two of the men arrested in connection with the finding of a 2,600-year-old statue in a sheep pen in Marathovounos appeared in court in the north on Tuesday.

The pair were released on 30,000TL (€906) bails to be tried at a later date.

In court, police officer Mehmet Bayir explained that the statue had been found on February 6 buried in a pile of animal manure in a sheep pen in Marathovounos.

He said the statue is of a woman and is worth around 5 million TL (€150,925). Additionally, he said it is 160cm tall and weighs 200kg.

The pair were arrested at the scene, with Bayir saying they had both verbally admitted to having stolen it.

Judge Aysu Cakan Alakan ordered that in addition to the bail amounts, both suspects find a guarantor to sign a bond worth 30,000TL (€9,056), and that both be banned from leaving the north.

The three other people arrested in connection with the statue’s theft were released without charge.