Governor of Kars says children broke statues

KARS - Anatolia News Agency

The broken statue was one of the pieces of a work called ‘Four Seasons.’ AA photo

Authorities in Kars were not responsible for damage to two statues in the eastern province, the local governor has said, adding that three children had been apprehended and released in connection with the incident.

“The municipality had nothing to do with the breaking of an instrument’s neck in the [Şeref Taşlıova] statue, or the destruction of the statue in front of the Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Mansion. The [child] culprits are obvious and they were taken into custody and [later] released,” Gov. Ahmet Kara said.
G.K., identified only by his initials, broke the “Four Seasons” statue in front of the Gazi Ahmet Paşa Mansion on Faik Bey Avenue, Kara alleged.

He said two other children, D.T. and H.Ö., damaged bard-storyteller Taşlıova’s statue. They broke the neck of the “saz,” a traditional stringed instrument that is wielded by the bard in the sculpture. The children said they unintentionally broke the statues while horsing around, the governor said.

“Back when most cities in Turkey were still far removed from the arts and culture, Kars was already acquainted with them. It is wrong to vilify Kars with such trivial matters now,” Kara said, noting his regret that his province has been depicted in the press as being antagonistic toward statues.
The governor’s comments come almost a year after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to Kars’ 35-meter-tall “Monument to Humanity” as “freakish,” demanding its removal.
Despite a public outcry, the monument, which was intended to symbolize Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, was demolished in April.

“The people of Kars have no problems with statues,” Kara said.

“Those statues will be repaired. I will have them repaired at the governor’s office. The municipality has to pay for the damage, but if they do not, the governor’s office will compensate,” he said.