TURKSOY condemns vandalism committed against Azerbaijani poetess’s statue in France

The International Organization of Turkish Culture (TURKSOY) has condemned the act of vandalism committed against the famous Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan’s statue in France.

As TURKSOY, which was created to protect, preserve, promote and pass on the culture and art of the Turkic world to future generations, it is regrettable that the statue of the famous figure of Azerbaijani literature, Khurshidbanu Natavan, was vandalized in France, one of the important cultural and artistic centres of Europe, the organization said in a statement, Report informs.

Azerbaijan Garden was inaugurated in 2017 to commemorate the twinning of Azerbaijan's Ismayilli and France's Évian-les-Bains, and the monument of Natavan erected here represents friendship and cooperation between the two countries, the organization said.

The vandalism against the monument of Khurshidbanu Natavan, one of the most famous poetesses in the Turkic world, who left an indelible mark on the Turkic cultural heritage, is an attack on art, it added.

"As TURKSOY, we condemn this heinous attack on our culture and art, and we hope that the perpetrators will be punished and such attacks will not happen again," the statement concludes.

To recap, in late December 2023, Natavan’s statue in France's Évian-les-Bains was vandalized by unknown individuals. A protective covering has been wrapped over it to protect the statue.