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Turkey Opposes Taliban's Demolition of Buddha Statues
Turkey, a Muslim-populated country, has voiced disagreement with the Afghan Taliban regime on demolition of ancient Buddha statues.
"Such a destruction can not be justified by any reason," Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said on Sunday, quoted by Anatolia new agency.
Dirioz said, "the action, which targeted at demolishing some archaeological monuments, which formed a part of the world culture and Afghanistan's cultural accumulation, meant depriving the coming generations of this culture."
Turkey shared the reaction of the international organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the world public on the issue, he added.
The Taliban militia, which rules 95 percent of Afghanistan, including capital Kabul, adheres to a strict Islamic law.
Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar ruled on Tuesday that all statues in Afghanistan should be destroyed because they are not Islamic.��
UNESCO chief Koichiro Mastuura has reportedly sent a special envoy to Kabul on Friday, urging the Taliban to stop the destruction of the Buddha statues which the whole world considers to be master-pieces.
The Taliban Minister of Information and Culture Quadratullah Jamal said that the destruction of the statues, including the two famous Buddhas built between the second and fifth centuries AD in Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, begun Thursday morning. The two statues towering 50 meters and 34.5 meters respectively are the world's tallest.��
The Taliban was reported on Friday to have used mortars and cannon to destroy the Buddhas, defying international protests and pleas from around the world to save the priceless treasures.
What has not been turned to rubble was slated for destruction on Sunday and Monday, according to the Taliban minister.
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