“Monstrous” Monument to Humanity in Kars to be demolished![]() February 2, 2011 - 11:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Kars Municipality has decided to demolish the hotly debated Monument to Humanity designated to advance “Turkish-Armenian Friendship,” according to Anatolian news agency. Eleven members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and eight members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) voted to demolish the statue during the municipal assembly meeting; four members of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) voted against. The 30-meter (100-foot) unfinished concrete statue, located in the northeastern Turkish city of Kars close to the Armenian border, was commissioned in 2006 to promote dialogue and reconciliation between the two countries. It depicts two figures emerging from one human shape and symbolizing the pain of division. Visiting Kars on January 8, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly described the monument as a “monstrosity” that overshadows a nearby Islamic shrine, Asbarez reported. ![]() ![]() Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert. On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. ![]() ![]() Partner news | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |