Lego to stop selling controversial toy set

ISTANBUL

"Jabba's Palace" based on the series of Star Wars films. HANDOUT PHOTO

Danish toy company Lego announced yesterday via Twitter its decision to pull its controversial Jabba's Palace set off the shelves by the end of this year, two months after complaints were made about its resemblance to Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum.

However, Lego denies the measure was taken as a result of the criticisms made by the Turkish Cultural Community of Austria.

The Jabba's Palace is a lego toy set featuring the palace of Star Wars' evil character Jabba the Hutt, a large, slug-like alien crime boss.

The Turkish Cultural Community of Austria had released a statement on January claiming that Lego labels Asians and Orientals as "deceitful and criminal personalities," and called on the company to apologize for affronting religious and cultural feelings.

The Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later converted into a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul.