Ankara's controversial mayor erects huge robot statue
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Wednesday, September 3, 2025


Ankara's controversial mayor erects huge robot statue
A view of the "Transformers-esque" statue near Turkey’s new presidential palace in Ankara, erected by the city Mayor Melih Gokcek, seen on April 2, 2015. The people of the Turkish capital believed it an April Fools joke, but no, it was real: The controversial mayor of Ankara has erected in the center of the megacity a giant statue made of metal and polyester that looks suspiciously like a production robot American "Transformers". The statue is expected to promote a giant amusement park, the Anka Park, which is under construction despite a court order which has found it in part to be contrary to the town planning rules. AFP PHOTO/ADEM ALTAN.



ANKARA (AFP).- A massive statue of a "Transformers" style robot has gone on display in Ankara not, as some of residents suspected, as an elaborate April Fool's joke but erected by the city's mayor.

The mass of metal and polyester, which now towers over  a busy road junction in the centre of the Turkish capital,  went up on Thursday to promote the new Anka theme park. which mayor Melih Gokcek is having built despite a court injunction over complaints it breaks city planning rules, local press reported.

Gokcek, who has been mayor of this city of five million people since 1994, is one of the more colourful members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Turkish prosecutors last month launched an investigation into both him and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc after the two politicians traded angry accusations as a row within the ruling party widened. 

Public prosecutors in Ankara were looking into Arinc on charges of misconduct and covering up a felony while they accused Gokcek of embezzlement and misconduct, private Dogan news agency reported. 

Nicknamed "Mad Melih" by his detractors, the mayor had promised voters ambitious projects such as the theme park, with giant replicas of dinosaurs and robots, as well as a channel to "bring the Bosphorus in Ankara," an arid Turkish city.

The giant robot statue, resembling something out of the US Transformers sci-fi film series, did not impress all Ankara residents.

Twitter user "Brgn" called it nothing but a "late April fool's joke".




© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse










Today's News

April 5, 2015

Exhibition devoted to representations of the sea in Flemish art opens in Cassel

J. Paul Getty Museum exhibition presents magnificent illuminated manuscripts

Exhibition presents a selection of major works from the first half of the 20th century

Research reveals significantly different composition in Jean-Honoré Fragonard's Young Girl Reading

Christie's announces Shanghai Spring Auctions with two fine art and lifestyle auctions

'Rocks and Rivers: Masterpieces of Landscape Painting from the Lunde Collection' opens in Edinburgh

Sotheby's Hong Kong Modern And Contemporary Asian Art Evening Sale achieves US$77.4 million

Bosnian Muslim sculptor Edin Hajderovac carves chair for Pope Francis visit

Inspirations: Exhibition of designs by Dries Van Noten on view at The Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp

Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels Sale to offer a 100-carat perfect diamond unlike any offered before

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia's new season of exhibitions focuses on art of Nova Scotia

Exquisite art given to the Art Gallery of South Australia for the people of Adelaide

Group exhibition at Christopher Grimes Gallery engages the languages of abstraction and architecture

Opera plays on through east Ukraine chaos

Solo exhibition of Palestinian-Iraqi artist Sama Alshaibi on view at Ayyam Gallery in London

Exhibition of photographs documenting inner city Liverpool in the early 1970s launches at the Bluecoat

Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates to hold third annual 18th and 19th Century Ceramics Auction April 14

Megaliths by Moonlight: Solo exhibition of photographs by Barbara Yoshida opens at Umbrella Arts

Jack Mendenhall's first solo exhibition with Bernarducci Meisel Gallery opens in New York

Scarce 28-bore that belonged to Lady Churchill to be offered by Gavin Gardiner Ltd.

Ankara's controversial mayor erects huge robot statue

Total hammer sales reached $4.65 million for 421-piece vintage sign collection

Mesmerizing Egyptian courtesan 'Thaïs' by Chiparus coming to the auction block at Bonhams Los Angeles




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 




Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful