KARS, Turkey (Combined Sources)–Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the destruction of a giant monument to friendship between Turkey and Armenia, reports from Ankara said on Monday, RFE/RL reported.
The 30-meter (100-foot) unfinished concrete statue, located in the northeastern Turkish city of Kars close to the Armenian border, was commissioned in 2006 to promote dialogue and reconciliation between the two countries. It depicts two figures emerging from one human shape and symbolizing the pain of division.
Visiting Kars on Sunday, Erdogan reportedly described the monument as a “monstrosity” that overshadows a nearby Islamic shrine. The AFP news agency cited Turkish media as saying that he ordered the Kars mayor, a member of his ruling Justice and Development Party, to replace it with a park.
It was not clear if Erdogan referred to Kars’s 10th century Armenian church of Surp Arakelots (Holy Apostles). It was converted into a mosque after the city and the surrounding region was cleansed of its Armenian population during the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and captured from a short-lived independent Armenian republic and incorporated into modern-day Turkey in 1920.
Opponents of Erdogan’s Islamic rooted government were critical of his comments, with former culture minister Ercan Karakas saying that they are a “shame” and that “the sculpture is neither strange nor ugly,” according to AFP.
The former Mayor of Kars, Naif Alibeyoglu, under whose administration the statue was erected, described Erdogan’s statements as “monstrous” in an interview with NTV television in which he sought to justify the building of the statue.
“We sought to erect a monument to humanity. We have attempted to send a message of humanity to this militant world, having lost human values,” said Alibeyoglu, who has been a supporter of the unconditional normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. “We built this monument as counterbalance to genocide monuments in Armenia and Igdir, as monuments to genocide fueled vendetta between the two nations.”
The statue’s sculptor, Mehmet Aksoy, defended his work, saying on NTV that its destruction would recall the demolition by the Taliban of ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan valley in 2001 that stunned the world.
“What explanation will be given to the world if the monument to humanity and peace is ruined?” Askol said. “Erdogan will become the first prime minister, who will destroy a monument to peace.”
Turkey’s Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that a decision about the monument’s fate will be made in consultation with the artist. Gunay noted that it was placed on a historic site of war.
“What explanation will be given to the world if the monument to humanity and peace is ruined?” Askol said. “Erdogan will become the first prime minister, who will destroy a monument to peace.”
SURE THING – HE WILL ALSO GO TO WAR – THAT IS HIS INTENTION.
GOD BEVERE OF TURKEY !!!.
Arn.Sweden.
Can someone send this to the US politicians who support this regime and ask for an explanation???
Leaving aside Erdogan’s real intensions, the monument indeed looks fake, ugly, empty and with no soul. It is “monstrous”.
“What explanation will be given to the world if the monument to humanity and peace is ruined?”
Where does this Mehmet Aksoy live; in Switzerland?
To him if Turks demolish that monument would be their very first violation of any law, don’t worry man since this would be the first time you can call the World Cust. Serv. and they will wave it.
Come on man wakeup; people in Turkey are getting killed and now this Askol (or whatever his name is) is concerned about his sculpture!
You know what? I suspect this was a Freedom of the Speech fiasco “Show” on NTV.
It is no surprise, Turkey has a very long history and effective policy at destroying anything connected with Armenian issues. After destroying thousands of churches, cemeteries, schools and homes of the Armenians, something like this should not be a problem at all, as Mr. Erdogan mentioned.
Turkey does what Turkey knows best , DEMOLISH…
Why are we surprised.
That darn thing’s so ugly, they ought to donate it to ,Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Museum. That is jest my humble opinion.