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DISPUTE ON "MONSTROUS" STATUE PEAKS IN LAW SUIT
BIAnet.org
Jan 27 2011
Turkey
Sculptor Mehmet Aksoy applied to court to stop the destruction of his
"Statue of Humanity" that is supposed to be removed upon the directive
of PM Erdogan. He had called the statue a "monstrosity". Aksoy argued,
"Turkey must not convey such an image to the world".
Elvan KISMET Kars - BÄ°A News Center27 January 2011, Thursday At a
visit to the north-eastern city of Kars on 8 January, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a statue made by sculptor Mehmet Aksoy a
"monstrosity". Erdogan criticized the area the statue was placed in,
saying that its style did not go along with other historical monuments
around. He gave the directive to tear it down. This way, the "Statue
of Humanity" made the headlines all over Turkey.
The dispute sparked by the different opinions on the statue now peaked
in a legal application filed by sculptor Aksoy to stop the destruction
of the statue.
The statue was commissioned by the former Mayor of Kars, Naif
Alibeyoglu. After Erdogan's comment, Alibeyoglu announced that the
monument had been made as a gesture "in response to the Genocide
Monument in Armenia".
The internet newspaper PolitiKars publishing from Kars reported that
Cevat Durak, the District Mayor of KarÅ~_ıyaka (Izmir), came to Kars
with certain technical equipment and investigated the statue. Durak
had announced that he would like to re-erect the statue in his district
if it would have to be removed from its current location.
Aksoy, creator of the monument, declared to take legal steps after
the Mayor of Kars, Nevzat BozkuÅ~_, had announced the decision to
tear the statue down.
The artist indicated that removing the monument under the harsh
weather conditions of the winter in Kars would technically be very
difficult. "May they destroy it in whatever way, this destruction
will be an example of the Taliban and the whole world is going to
discuss this", Aksoy said.
"Turkey must not convey such an image to the world. It is bitter
that such a topic comes up in the Turkish agenda. It is said that the
decision to remove the monument was issued on the 6th of this month
but I do not believe that. This decision was made and signed out of
the blue. Where are we? People do not trust in anything anymore. I
took legal measures. I will not say anything else after this, if I
can finish I will try to complete the statue".
District Mayor Durak, member of the Republican People's Party (CHP),
and Ali Rıza Selmanpakoglu, Mayor of NevÅ~_ehir, took a special
interest in the monument. Durak sent an official writing to the
Mayor of Kars and informed him that they would like to acquire the
statue. At the same time, Selmanpakoglu forwarded their request to
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In response to the request of the KarÅ~_ıkaya and NevÅ~_ehir
Municipalities, Aksoy argued that the work was "not a statuette
but a statue", 35 metre high and weighing 350 tonnes. "Thus, it is
impossible to relocate it. Moreover, that would create an example of
inconsistency. Wouldn't a statue that was removed because it is said to
monstrous be just as monstrous in another place?", the sculptor said.
71-year-old Mehmet Aksoy represented Turkey in numerous biennials
abroad. He was rewarded with the State Award for Painting and Sculpture
Exhibitions twice. (EK/EO)
From: A. Papazian
BIAnet.org
Jan 27 2011
Turkey
Sculptor Mehmet Aksoy applied to court to stop the destruction of his
"Statue of Humanity" that is supposed to be removed upon the directive
of PM Erdogan. He had called the statue a "monstrosity". Aksoy argued,
"Turkey must not convey such an image to the world".
Elvan KISMET Kars - BÄ°A News Center27 January 2011, Thursday At a
visit to the north-eastern city of Kars on 8 January, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a statue made by sculptor Mehmet Aksoy a
"monstrosity". Erdogan criticized the area the statue was placed in,
saying that its style did not go along with other historical monuments
around. He gave the directive to tear it down. This way, the "Statue
of Humanity" made the headlines all over Turkey.
The dispute sparked by the different opinions on the statue now peaked
in a legal application filed by sculptor Aksoy to stop the destruction
of the statue.
The statue was commissioned by the former Mayor of Kars, Naif
Alibeyoglu. After Erdogan's comment, Alibeyoglu announced that the
monument had been made as a gesture "in response to the Genocide
Monument in Armenia".
The internet newspaper PolitiKars publishing from Kars reported that
Cevat Durak, the District Mayor of KarÅ~_ıyaka (Izmir), came to Kars
with certain technical equipment and investigated the statue. Durak
had announced that he would like to re-erect the statue in his district
if it would have to be removed from its current location.
Aksoy, creator of the monument, declared to take legal steps after
the Mayor of Kars, Nevzat BozkuÅ~_, had announced the decision to
tear the statue down.
The artist indicated that removing the monument under the harsh
weather conditions of the winter in Kars would technically be very
difficult. "May they destroy it in whatever way, this destruction
will be an example of the Taliban and the whole world is going to
discuss this", Aksoy said.
"Turkey must not convey such an image to the world. It is bitter
that such a topic comes up in the Turkish agenda. It is said that the
decision to remove the monument was issued on the 6th of this month
but I do not believe that. This decision was made and signed out of
the blue. Where are we? People do not trust in anything anymore. I
took legal measures. I will not say anything else after this, if I
can finish I will try to complete the statue".
District Mayor Durak, member of the Republican People's Party (CHP),
and Ali Rıza Selmanpakoglu, Mayor of NevÅ~_ehir, took a special
interest in the monument. Durak sent an official writing to the
Mayor of Kars and informed him that they would like to acquire the
statue. At the same time, Selmanpakoglu forwarded their request to
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In response to the request of the KarÅ~_ıkaya and NevÅ~_ehir
Municipalities, Aksoy argued that the work was "not a statuette
but a statue", 35 metre high and weighing 350 tonnes. "Thus, it is
impossible to relocate it. Moreover, that would create an example of
inconsistency. Wouldn't a statue that was removed because it is said to
monstrous be just as monstrous in another place?", the sculptor said.
71-year-old Mehmet Aksoy represented Turkey in numerous biennials
abroad. He was rewarded with the State Award for Painting and Sculpture
Exhibitions twice. (EK/EO)
From: A. Papazian