The ideological messages of monuments and statues and public perceptions: A case study of Diyarbakır

By making sociological analysis of monuments and statues erected at public sphere in Diyarbakir this study tries to give a portrait of political and social conflicts in Turkey. Putting at the center the discussions on political power, ideology and public sphere the study employs both content analysis and interview techniques. Thus, it tries to understand the relations between ideology, art and public perception by revealing both latent and manifest ideological messages given through statues and monuments seen in the city and mode of public perception of them. Eventually the research supported the thesis that though political powers try to make themselves visible in public sphere through artistic pieces, the ideological messages given through these artifacts usually are not understood by ordinary people or they are distorted by some opposite ideological traditions. That is, art could not play efficiently its expected transformative role for nationalization. Keywords: political power, ideology, public sphere, art, Kemalist statue, local municipalities