Turkish architects sue Ankara Mayor over ‘Transformers’ statue

ANKARA

Turkey’s Chamber of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) has filed a criminal complaint against Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek over his controversial decision to erect a “Transformers-esque” statue in the Turkish capital.

TMMOB’s Ankara branch head Tezcan Karakuş Candan told daily Hürriyet on April 8 that Gökçek “wasted taxpayer’s money.”

The metal-polyester robot was erected on the main road intersection of the Atatürk Forest Farm in the Turkish capital on April 2, as part of a promotion for a new theme park, the AnkaPark, which has been described as a “prestige project” by Gökçek.

A total of 20 robots will be included at the new theme park when completed, though none of them are officially called “Transformers” due to copyright issues, according to private broadcaster CNNTürk.

“We must know how much each of these robots cost. We cannot accept the building of such a freak statue with our taxes,” Candan said, recalling a court ruling which declared the construction of the park as illegal and halted it.

The road intersection where the AnkaPark robot now stands is a few kilometers from the new presidential palace, which recently began witnessing its own “spectacular” show thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s welcoming of foreign leaders flanked by actors dressed in the military costumes of 16 states founded throughout history by Turks.