A golden statue of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan erected in the German city of Wiesbaden at an art festival with the motto "Bad News" has been removed after the city authorities said it was a security issue.
The DPA agency reported that the four-meter-high sculpture of Erdogan raising his hand, similar to the statue of Saddam Hussein that was toppled by American forces in Iraq, was removed from the city center after midnight.
The authorities say that since its inauguration on Monday, it has provoked a debate for and against Erdogan, but also provoked conflicts.
The director of the State Theater in Wiesbaden Uwe Erik Laufenberg said that the debate was also the purpose of the installation, adding that the statue showed how to discuss Erdogan.
"In a democracy, all opinions must be respected," he added.
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