in court, Turkish human rights activist Ragip Zarakolu said in Yerevan. It is not that easy to label a work of art as “monstrous”, he added.

Commenting on the decision of Kars city council to demolish the monument, Zarakolu condemns the move. According to him, Turkish intellectuals have expressed their support for sculptor’s decision to defend his reputation in court.   

City Council of Kars, by a majority of votes, decided to demolish the monument symbolizing the Armenian-Turkish friendship, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called “monstrous”.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, in the course of Premier’s visit to Kars, he labeled the memorial as “monstrous” and ordered to demolish it. The monument was built on the initiative of former Kars mayor Naif Alibeyoglu.