Mehmet Aksoy

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Mehmet Aksoy (b. 1939 in Hatay Province, Turkey)^[1] is a Turkish sculptor. He is one of the major sculptors in modern Turkey. Called the "Anatolian Michaelangelo" he was born in southern Turkey and studied sculpture in England, Italy and Germany, where he lived and worked for many years. Aksoy's public sculpture includes a massive marble "Memorial to the Deserter" in Germany in honor of those who refuse to fight in unjust wars. The figure in this memorial is carved in negative relief, a technique that Aksoy employed in later work. His sculptures often contain sensual figurative elements, but he is strongly rooted in a modernist sensiblity with strong conceptual and abstract elements in his work. He works primarily in stone but also incorporates other material, fusing metal or differing stones in a single sculpture. He presently resides and works in a studio of his own dramatic design on the outskirts of Istanbul.

In 2008, Aksoy began readying what he calls the "Paragon of Humanity," a 130-meter high monument dedicated to peace among Turks and Armenians. It will be erected atop Kazıktepe Hill situated across from the ancient castle of Kars. When completed, the monument will be visible from neighboring Armenia.^[1] Aksoy's efforts were encouraged by Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoğlu who seeks to reopen the Armenian-Turkish border, sealed since 1993. Aksoy said that "Turks and Armenians are sisters and brothers" and "it is time for both of us to open our hearts to each other and heal our traumas."^[1]