Epress.am News from Armenia
An administrative court in the eastern Turkish province of Erzurum overturned a Kars court decision to stop the demolition of Kars’ Monument to Humanity, a peace sculpture described as “freakish” by Turkey’s prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in January.
According to CNN Turk, the Erzrum court, reviewing the appeal, did not consider the sculpture’s creator, Mehmet Aksoy’s lawsuit to stop demolition work to be sufficient and granted a stay of execution.
Recall, the decision to demolish the monument was made on Feb. 1.
Now, the company that wins the tender to demolish the monument will be given 60 days by the local municipality to remove the Monument to Humanity. The sculpture will reportedly be dismantled before being carted away.
Erdoğan sparked controversy on the monument during his visit earlier this year when he said the monument, which is placed on a high hill overlooking the city, was both “freakish” and threatened to overshadow historical locations such as the Seyyid Hasal El Harakani tomb and mosque, reports the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
The unfinished monument, which depicts two figures meeting, is 35 meters tall, weighs 300 tons and is meant to represent efforts to foster friendship between the Turkish and Armenian peoples. Aksoy had planned for one of the figures to shed a tear in regret while the other extends its hand in reconciliation.