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Der Spiegel, Germany
May 5 2011
Controversial Kars Monument Could Come to Berlin
urkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently called the "Statue
of Humanity," a monument to Turkish-Armenian relations in Kars, a
"monstrosity." It has now been dismantled. But Berlin restaurant owner
Adnan Oral wants to bring it to the German capital and re-erect it. He
told SPIEGEL why.
What to do with a sculpture that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan thinks is a "monstrosity?" The statue in question is the
35-meter (115-foot) tall "Statue of Humanity" which, until recently,
loomed over the southeastern Turkish city of Kars. Artist Mehmet Aksoy
created the work as a monument to peace between Turks and Armenians.
But on a visit to Kars in January, Erdogan criticized the monument and
lamented its location not far from the tomb of an Islamic scholar. The
local municipality, led by Erdogan's party, took him at his word and
began dismantling the statue in late April. The statue stood as a
reminder to the World War I mass murder of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire, Turkey's predecessor.
Artist Aksoy, comparing the destruction of his artwork to the 2001
destruction of two giant Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan,
vowed to re-construct the statue. But where? Adnan Oral, a restaurant
owner in Berlin, thinks he has a solution. Why not rebuild the statue
in the heart of Berlin? SPIEGEL spoke with Oral about his plan.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Oral, you want to bring the "Statue of Humanity," a
monument to Turkish-Armenian friendship by Turkish artist Mehmet
Aksoy, to Berlin. Why?
Oral: The work is being dismantled because Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan does not like it. I find it intolerable that a work of art is
being torn down at the whim of a head of government and without any
legitimate basis. That has not happened in recent years in Europe.
SPIEGEL: How do you imagine transporting the statue? It is 35 meters
tall and weighs 300 tons.
Oral: Ach, when you compare this problem to the fate of the Armenian
people, it is not so difficult.
SPIEGEL: Have you already found a location for the memorial?
Oral: At first I will store it privately, and then I will ask those
responsible if they can offer me a worthy location. After all, the
Germans were also partially responsible for the 1915 genocide of the
Armenians at the hands of the Turks.
SPIEGEL: How so?
Oral: At that time, German officers were advisers to the sultan in
Constantinople, and the German Reich had a great stake in Turkey's
stability. Berlin did not do anything to prevent the murder of the
Armenians.
SPIEGEL: How will you finance your memorial project?
Oral: Privately and through official sources. I will somehow manage it.
SPIEGEL: Many find the work downright hideous. Have you already seen it?
Oral: No, not in person. Art need not appeal to everyone. It must be
provocative.
Interview conducted by Joachim Kronsbein
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,760384,00.html
From: A. Papazian
May 5 2011
Controversial Kars Monument Could Come to Berlin
urkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently called the "Statue
of Humanity," a monument to Turkish-Armenian relations in Kars, a
"monstrosity." It has now been dismantled. But Berlin restaurant owner
Adnan Oral wants to bring it to the German capital and re-erect it. He
told SPIEGEL why.
What to do with a sculpture that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan thinks is a "monstrosity?" The statue in question is the
35-meter (115-foot) tall "Statue of Humanity" which, until recently,
loomed over the southeastern Turkish city of Kars. Artist Mehmet Aksoy
created the work as a monument to peace between Turks and Armenians.
But on a visit to Kars in January, Erdogan criticized the monument and
lamented its location not far from the tomb of an Islamic scholar. The
local municipality, led by Erdogan's party, took him at his word and
began dismantling the statue in late April. The statue stood as a
reminder to the World War I mass murder of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire, Turkey's predecessor.
Artist Aksoy, comparing the destruction of his artwork to the 2001
destruction of two giant Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan,
vowed to re-construct the statue. But where? Adnan Oral, a restaurant
owner in Berlin, thinks he has a solution. Why not rebuild the statue
in the heart of Berlin? SPIEGEL spoke with Oral about his plan.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Oral, you want to bring the "Statue of Humanity," a
monument to Turkish-Armenian friendship by Turkish artist Mehmet
Aksoy, to Berlin. Why?
Oral: The work is being dismantled because Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan does not like it. I find it intolerable that a work of art is
being torn down at the whim of a head of government and without any
legitimate basis. That has not happened in recent years in Europe.
SPIEGEL: How do you imagine transporting the statue? It is 35 meters
tall and weighs 300 tons.
Oral: Ach, when you compare this problem to the fate of the Armenian
people, it is not so difficult.
SPIEGEL: Have you already found a location for the memorial?
Oral: At first I will store it privately, and then I will ask those
responsible if they can offer me a worthy location. After all, the
Germans were also partially responsible for the 1915 genocide of the
Armenians at the hands of the Turks.
SPIEGEL: How so?
Oral: At that time, German officers were advisers to the sultan in
Constantinople, and the German Reich had a great stake in Turkey's
stability. Berlin did not do anything to prevent the murder of the
Armenians.
SPIEGEL: How will you finance your memorial project?
Oral: Privately and through official sources. I will somehow manage it.
SPIEGEL: Many find the work downright hideous. Have you already seen it?
Oral: No, not in person. Art need not appeal to everyone. It must be
provocative.
Interview conducted by Joachim Kronsbein
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,760384,00.html
From: A. Papazian