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CONTROVERSIAL FRIENDSHIP MONUMENT TO BE MOVED ACROSS TURKEY
Hurriyet
Jan 26 2011
Turkey
Following a decision to demolish sculptor Mehmet Aksoy's 'Monument
to Humanity,' described by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as
'freakish,' the Karşıyaka Municipality in İzmir has contacted the Kars
Municipality and asked if it could be moved to the western city. 'Our
municipality needed a sculpture and decided to bring it to İzmir,'
says Karşıyaka Municipality Press Consultant Sedat Sozeri
Artist Mehmet Aksoy says he is surprised by the decision to move his
sculpture, 'Monument to Humanity,' to İzmir.
A large monument in the eastern city of Kars that was harshly
criticized by the prime minister will be relocated to the Karşıyaka
district of the western city of İzmir, a municipal representative
said Tuesday.
"We were looking for a special sculpture for Karşıyaka. We decided to
bring the 'Monument to Humanity' to İzmir when we heard it was going to
be demolished," Karşıyaka Municipality Press Consultant Sedat Sozeri,
who visited the monument in Kars on Tuesday along with a nine-person
committee, told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Removing the monument from Kars would strip it of its symbolic meaning,
according to sculptor Mehmet Aksoy, who started working on the statue
in 2006 and dedicated it to the friendship of Turkish and Armenian
people. Kars was chosen as the location for the monument because it
is one of the cities nearest to Turkey's closed border with Armenia.
"The Monument to Humanity should remain in its current place. It
should be preserved. This is very painful; as an artist, what this
sculpture is going through hurts my heart," Aksoy said, adding that
he was newly informed about the developments and very surprised to
hear about the pending relocation of the monument.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sparked the current controversy
around the monument on a visit to Kars earlier this month, when he
described the statue as "freakish." Saying the monument, which is
placed on a high hill overlooking the city, threatened to overshadow
historical sights such as the Seyyid Hasal El Harakani tomb and mosque,
the prime minister ordered the statue's demolition.
Following Erdoğan's statement, the Erzurum Committee for Preserving
Cultural Assets decided to demolish the uncompleted sculpture, whose
construction was halted in 2008. The Karşıyaka Municipality got in
touch with the Kars Municipality and asked it not to destroy the
monument and instead allow it to be moved to İzmir, where it will be
placed on an empty hillside between the Mustafa Kemal neighborhood
and Bulent Ecevit Avenue.
"We never considered whether the monument is aesthetic or not,
beautiful or ugly. We don't want discussions, we needed it and we
will take it," said Sozeri of the Karşıyaka Municipality.
"If they did not consider the aesthetic features of the sculpture,
what did they consider? This is shameful; are they buying oranges or
apples in a market?" Aksoy said. "And how will they move this giant
sculpture? This is impossible; it can only be [moved from its place]
with dynamite. They did not ascribe the monument to Kars. Now will
they place it in İzmir?"
Dynamite not necessary
The unfinished Monument to Humanity is 35 meters tall and weighs 300
tons and is meant to represent efforts to foster friendship between
Turkish and Armenian peoples. Once finished, one of the pieces would
be shedding a tear to show regret while the other would be extending
a hand for reconciliation.
When asked if there was any other reason behind the Karşıyaka's
municipality's request for the monument, Sozeri said: "We don't want
to comment on it. We needed the sculpture and will bring it to İzmir
if we can."
Kars Municipality Public Relations Manager Ozlem Ozturk, who visited
the monument site along with Sozeri and his committee, refuted Aksoy's
statement that the sculpture could only be removed with dynamite and
that it would be badly damaged if it were to be removed with a crane.
"Everything has a method, we are examining it technically," Ozturk
said. "The archaeological site will be damaged if dynamite [is used].
This is why a technical committee will decide how to remove [the
monument]."
Addressing Aksoy's statement last week that he would initiate a
lawsuit against Prime Minister Erdoğan, Ozturk said: "This is his
legal right. We have nothing to say."
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet
Jan 26 2011
Turkey
Following a decision to demolish sculptor Mehmet Aksoy's 'Monument
to Humanity,' described by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as
'freakish,' the Karşıyaka Municipality in İzmir has contacted the Kars
Municipality and asked if it could be moved to the western city. 'Our
municipality needed a sculpture and decided to bring it to İzmir,'
says Karşıyaka Municipality Press Consultant Sedat Sozeri
Artist Mehmet Aksoy says he is surprised by the decision to move his
sculpture, 'Monument to Humanity,' to İzmir.
A large monument in the eastern city of Kars that was harshly
criticized by the prime minister will be relocated to the Karşıyaka
district of the western city of İzmir, a municipal representative
said Tuesday.
"We were looking for a special sculpture for Karşıyaka. We decided to
bring the 'Monument to Humanity' to İzmir when we heard it was going to
be demolished," Karşıyaka Municipality Press Consultant Sedat Sozeri,
who visited the monument in Kars on Tuesday along with a nine-person
committee, told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Removing the monument from Kars would strip it of its symbolic meaning,
according to sculptor Mehmet Aksoy, who started working on the statue
in 2006 and dedicated it to the friendship of Turkish and Armenian
people. Kars was chosen as the location for the monument because it
is one of the cities nearest to Turkey's closed border with Armenia.
"The Monument to Humanity should remain in its current place. It
should be preserved. This is very painful; as an artist, what this
sculpture is going through hurts my heart," Aksoy said, adding that
he was newly informed about the developments and very surprised to
hear about the pending relocation of the monument.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sparked the current controversy
around the monument on a visit to Kars earlier this month, when he
described the statue as "freakish." Saying the monument, which is
placed on a high hill overlooking the city, threatened to overshadow
historical sights such as the Seyyid Hasal El Harakani tomb and mosque,
the prime minister ordered the statue's demolition.
Following Erdoğan's statement, the Erzurum Committee for Preserving
Cultural Assets decided to demolish the uncompleted sculpture, whose
construction was halted in 2008. The Karşıyaka Municipality got in
touch with the Kars Municipality and asked it not to destroy the
monument and instead allow it to be moved to İzmir, where it will be
placed on an empty hillside between the Mustafa Kemal neighborhood
and Bulent Ecevit Avenue.
"We never considered whether the monument is aesthetic or not,
beautiful or ugly. We don't want discussions, we needed it and we
will take it," said Sozeri of the Karşıyaka Municipality.
"If they did not consider the aesthetic features of the sculpture,
what did they consider? This is shameful; are they buying oranges or
apples in a market?" Aksoy said. "And how will they move this giant
sculpture? This is impossible; it can only be [moved from its place]
with dynamite. They did not ascribe the monument to Kars. Now will
they place it in İzmir?"
Dynamite not necessary
The unfinished Monument to Humanity is 35 meters tall and weighs 300
tons and is meant to represent efforts to foster friendship between
Turkish and Armenian peoples. Once finished, one of the pieces would
be shedding a tear to show regret while the other would be extending
a hand for reconciliation.
When asked if there was any other reason behind the Karşıyaka's
municipality's request for the monument, Sozeri said: "We don't want
to comment on it. We needed the sculpture and will bring it to İzmir
if we can."
Kars Municipality Public Relations Manager Ozlem Ozturk, who visited
the monument site along with Sozeri and his committee, refuted Aksoy's
statement that the sculpture could only be removed with dynamite and
that it would be badly damaged if it were to be removed with a crane.
"Everything has a method, we are examining it technically," Ozturk
said. "The archaeological site will be damaged if dynamite [is used].
This is why a technical committee will decide how to remove [the
monument]."
Addressing Aksoy's statement last week that he would initiate a
lawsuit against Prime Minister Erdoğan, Ozturk said: "This is his
legal right. We have nothing to say."
From: A. Papazian