ECA has sent the following letter on 25 April 2011 to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Minister of Culture Sayin Ertugrul Günay and Mr. Egemen Bagis, the Secretariat General of EU Affairs.
Destruction of the Monument to Humanity | Assault on Mr Bedri Baykam
The European Council of Artists (ECA) – an umbrella body of interdisciplinary artists' councils and artists' associations from 26 countries both with in and without the EU – representing an estimated 220,000 professional artists – condemns in the strongest terms, the horrific assault on Mr Bedri Baykam which followed on your condemnation of the "Monument to Humanity" by sculptor Mehmet Aksoy.
You – as are we all – are entitled to your personal opinion on works of art, be they painting, music, literature, architecture, or as in this case, sculpture. Your are entitled to you private opinion but your action in ordering [by whatever form of words] the demolition of the work for reasons of political expedience is a totally unacceptable abuse of your position as Prime Minister in a democratic government.
ECA is aware that the relationship between Turkey and its neighbouring Armenia is as complex as it is long and does not comment on whether the "Monument to Humanity" would have eases relations between Turkey and Armenia in any way but ECA is certain that your intervention in the matter will have made the situation far worse.
ECA calls on you to stop the destruction of the "Monument to Humanity" and to see that it is completed with immediate effect.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Burke
president ECA