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Turkeyâ€™s Kars municipality makes decision on removal of the monument symbolizing Turkish-Armenian friendship

01 February 2011 19:39 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that at the voting as a results of the discussions today was held at the meeting of the assembly of Kars Municipality 11 members of Justice and Development Party, 8 members of Nationalist Movement Party voted in favor of removal of the monument and 4 members of Republican Peopleâ€™s Party voted against of decision.

Head of Kars municipality Nevzat Bozkush told that the removing process will start soon and will be announce tender in connection with this.

He also noted that after removing the monument area will be renovate in accordance with history and architecture of Kars

Kars Municipality Public Relations Manager Ozlem Ozturk told APA that the technical calculations will be conducted and the monument will be removed after the decision: â€œWe had an issue to move the monument to the other place. Thus, Karshiyaka municipality of Izmir city wanted this monument from our municipality. The head of Karshiyaka municipality has also come here. They wanted to erect this monument in a park in Karshiyaka. But that municipality sent us a report that they can not carry this monument. Thus, the monument will be removed without carrying to the other placeâ€.

Recall that the â€œMonument of Mankindâ€ symbolizing the Turkish-Armenian friendship was started to be built in 2008. Its construction has not been completed yet. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told municipality and other officials during his visit to Kars that all strange constructions contradicting the historic-architectural styles should be removed. He called it as â€œugly monumentâ€.