As Eurasianet's Nicholas Birch reported a few months ago, a large sculpture near the Turkish-Armenian border called "The Monument to Humanity" was causing quite a stir in Kars, the city where it is being erected. Although the monument is supposed to serve as a symbol for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, it has run into strong local opposition, much of it based on nationalist sentiments.But now the issue has gone national, with Turkey's leading art critic -- i.e. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- stepping into the fray. During a visit to Kars, Erdogan called the 35-meter high statue a "monstrosity" and said he hoped it would soon be torn down. Erdogan's words have unleashed a flood of criticism, most of it aimed at the Prime Minister, rather than the (admittedly, not so great) work of art in question. From a column in Today's Zaman by Yavuz Baydar:



No matter how much “damage control” Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay does, Erdoğan’s latest remarks irked those who had expected a further enhancement of freedom and tolerance. They fall in sharp contrast to the diagnosis that Turkey suffers deeply from disrespect of diversity of opinion, but it also reveals inherent intolerance for artists. Erdoğan, who was sentenced to prison in a clear breach of respect for free speech after reciting a poem, should know better, is the judgment.

More criticism can be found here.