Demolition of landmark statue divides Edirne city’s residents

EDİRNE

The demolition of a statue located on the busiest street in the northwestern province of Edirne has sparked a debate among the residents of the city, which borders Greece and Bulgaria.

Saraçlar Street, which is the busiest street of the city, was closed to traffic in 2008 and a statue called Sevda Çeşmesi (Love Fountain) was erected in the middle of the street a year later.

A fountain in which a statue of a man and a woman holding a pigeon and lion figures had become the symbol of the street for 11 years.

It also had been a spot for photoshoots for tourists.

As the infrastructure works were initiated on the street, which was restricted to pedestrian entrance due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the statue was destroyed by the municipal teams.

The demolition of the statue started a big debate among the residents.

Ali Tamer Kuday, a tradesman in the street, said the fountain was too big and that it was the right move to demolish it, while Sertaç Gersüver, a resident in the city, said that the city’s residents got very used to the fountain.

Gersüver also added that destruction would be difficult to accept.

Edirne Mayor Recep Gürkan examined the demolition works of the statue and said that he would not make a statement on the subject.