Weird Boy-In-Watermelon Statue Removed From Turkish Airport

Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

This strange watermelon monument with a boy coming out of the top has been swapped for a plain watermelon statue at the junction to a Turkish airport after an online backlash.

The monument was reportedly erected at the motorway junction for the airport in the city of Diyarbakir in the south-eastern Turkish province of the same name.

It was not officially announced why the watermelon themed statues were being put up locally, however, Diyarbakır is famous for it’s watermelon harvest.

Sculpture of a boy in watermelon in Turkey in 2021. (Newsflash)

The watermelon monument they erected initially, that has a boy sitting in it, was erected along with a statue of a man carrying a tray of kadaifs (a local dessert).

However, when images of both structures were shared on social media they prompted an online backlash.

As a result of the criticism, the local authorities decided to remove both statues and the designer said they would revise the concept with the criticism taken into account.

The giant watermelon statue in Turkey in June 2021. (Newsflash)

Now a new 25-metre-tall watermelon-themed statue was erected near the airport and images of the huge watermelon sculpture being loaded onto a lorry were also widely shared on social media.

The city of Diyarbakir has been central to the conflict between the Turkish state and various Kurdish separatist groups, and is seen by many Kurds as the de facto capital of Kurdistan.

The city was meant to become the capital of an independent Kurdistan following the Treaty of Sevres in 1920, but this was ditched following subsequent political developments.