Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a 48-meter monument in the eastern province of Kars overshadowed the magnificence of historical Seyyit Hassan el Harkani Mosque in the city.

Erdogan said, "I warned the mayor when the construction of the monument began. Natural & Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency also decided to destroy the monument."

Erdogan also reacted strongly to accusations towards him for being an enemy of art. "It is not necessary to graduate from Fine Arts. We know what a monument is. I worked as a mayor for 4.5 years and as a prime minister for 7.5 years. I have never destroyed a single statue or a work of art," TURKIYE cited the Prime Minister as saying.