Turkish police have recovered an oil painting that looks like a Picasso in a sting operation in Istanbul.
Police posed as buyers for the painting, detaining two suspects who tried to sell it for $US8 million ($A11.30 million), the state-run Anadolu Agency said on Saturday.
Anadolu said the painting, which shows an abstract nude female figure brushing her hair, is an authentic work by Pablo Picasso stolen from a woman in New York.
But a statement from Istanbul police said the painting hasn't been authenticated yet.
The painting must still be sent to Istanbul's Mimar Sinan University to be examined, Anadolu reported.
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Turkish police have recovered paintings in similar operations in the past which turned out to be forgeries.
