Monument to Humanity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Statue of Humanity)

Template:Short description

Page Module:Message box/ambox.css has no content.

Monument to Humanity under construction in 2009

Monument to Humanity (Template:Langx, Template:Langx) was a nearly completed statue in Kars, Turkey. Created by Turkish artist Mehmet Aksoy, the 30-metre-tall (98 ft) monument stood atop Kazıktepe, across from the ancient Castle of Kars. Visible from neighboring Armenia, the statue depicted two halves of a man, each reaching to hold the other's hand.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.[1] The monument was demolished in April 2011, only months after being criticized by then–prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a "freak"[2] or "monstrosity".[3]

Background

The statue was commissioned by the Kars municipality as a gesture of reconciliation in Armenia–Turkey relations following the Zurich Protocols, a 2009 accord to establish formal diplomatic recognition between the two countries.[3][4] Then–mayor of Kars, Template:Interlanguage link multi, referred to the statue as "his dream," that would help bring together the "brothers and sisters" of the two nations.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.

However, the statue was also criticized, because it was erected without any consultation with the Armenian community, and represented a one-sided imposition rather than "reconciliation".[5] Egemen Özbek writes: Template:Quote

Demolition

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the monument as a "freak"[2] or a "monstrosity" (Template:Langx) during a visit to Kars on 8 January 2011.[3] In spite of protests, the city authority decided to remove the statue.[2][4]

On 26 April 2011, demolition began with the dismounting of the sculpture's two heads, which Armenian sources considered effectively a decapitation.[6] Aksoy also said "I felt as if my children were being beheaded."[3] An official statement by the demolition company stated: "In order to dismantle it, first the head will be cut off and taken down with the help of a crane. Then, in the following ten days, the statue will be dismembered into 20 pieces."[7] The demolition was completed on 14 June 2011.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.

While Erdoğan insisted that this was merely a question of aesthetics, international observers believed the demolition an attempt to appeal to nationalist sentiment ahead of the 2011 general election,[8] concurring with Aksoy, who said Erdoğan was "maneuvering to consolidate his reactionary base in the run-up to elections," and that he "bagged the vote of local Azeris," who denounced extending a hand to Armenia.[3]

Aftermath

As a response to Erdoğan's comments, Aksoy filed a lawsuit against Erdoğan for insulting him. Erdoğan's lawyer claimed it was a critique rather than an insult, but on 3 March 2015, an Istanbul court fined Erdoğan 10,000 Turkish lira for the insult, a ruling that was termed "a refreshing move by the Turkish judiciary" by oppositional commentator Sibel Hürtaş.[3] However later on, a local court overturned that verdict.[9] Aksoy announced he would spend the money for a Nevruz Day party with his friends,[10] thereby directing haram (Arabic for "immoral") money to its adequately haram purpose.[3] In July 2019, the Constitutional Court ruled that its demolition violated Aksoy's freedom of expression and that he shall be compensated.[11]

See also

References

Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.

  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Monument to symbolize peace, unity". Turkish Daily News. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Turkey-Armenia friendship symbol being demolished". BBC News. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sibel Hürtaş (10 March 2015). "Erdogan fined $3,800 for insulting peace monument". Al Monitor. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."İnsanlık Anıtı yıkılacak". Hurriyet (in Türkçe). 9 January 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Erbal, Ayda (2016). "Lost in Translation: The Monument's Deconstruction". The Armenian Genocide Legacy. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 212–226. ISBN 978-1-137-56163-3.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nanore Barsoumian (11 May 2011). "'Ucube' Decapitated in Kars: 'Monument to Humanity' Demolition Underway". Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."İnsanlık Anıtı Direniyor" [Statue of Humanity Withstands]. Anadolu Ajansı. 25 April 2011.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Two vast and ugly blocks of stone". The Economist. 13 January 2011.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Constitutional Court: Demolition of 'Monument of Humanity' a Right Violation". Bianet.org. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Umut Erdem (5 March 2015). "Artist 'to party with' Erdoğan's money". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ^ Ruken Tuncel, "Constitutional Court: Demolition of 'Monument of Humanity' a Right Violation", Bianet, 12 July 2019

Literature

Page Template:Refbegin/styles.css has no content.

Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Authority control/config' not found. Template:DMCA

Retrieved from "https://cosmopedia.co/index.php?title=Monument_to_Humanity&oldid=9892707"