Turkey probes restoration of tower likened to 'SpongeBob'
Avgin defended the restoration work, saying the tower was on the verge of collapsing.
ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into restoration work carried out on a historic tower near Istanbul after social media users derided the construction, likening it to the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.
Adem Avgin, an official in charge of projects at the mayor s office in the Black Sea coastal town of Sile, told the state-run Anadolu Agency on Thursday that an inspection was being carried out to determine whether restoration of the Byzantine-era tower remained "true" to the original project.
Hurriyet newspaper and other media printed photos of a modern-looking, square-shaped construction with windows and slits that resemble eyes and eyebrows, juxtaposed to SpongeBob images.
Avgin defended the restoration work, saying the tower was on the verge of collapsing.
