Turkey's prime minister says the monument in Kars near the Armenian border is a “freak” that overshadows a nearby shrine. Local authorities have announced plans to remove it.

Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said Monday the monument, which features a divided human, shaking the hand of the other half, is not completed, but symbolizes the pain of division.

He says it was placed on a historic site of war, and a decision about the monument's fate will be made in consultation with the artist.

Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies the deaths were genocide.