Protests in Turkey against proposed law to control stray animals

Animal rights groups in Turkey protested on Wednesday against a proposed bill which activists fear would allow the mass killing of stray dogs and other animals in certain cases.

A parliamentary commission began debating the controversial bill on Wednesday amid protests from activists and opposition lawmakers.

Demonstrators gathered in Istanbul, holding up signs reading “Murder” in Turkish, and calling on the government to withdraw the plan.

Activists have been mobilizing across numerous cities, including the metropolises of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, against the plan brought by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) party.

The draft bill, seen by dpa, proposes changes to a 2004 animal protection law to allow for the euthanasia of street animals in certain cases.

If it passes the commission, the proposal is expected to be legalized in parliament where Erdoğan’s AKP holds a majority.

The bill urges local authorities to collect stray animals and place them in shelters, with the aim of finding them a home.

Yet, euthanasia is an option in case, for example, the animal is “aggressive,” poses a “danger to public safety” or has contagious diseases.

Activists say how exactly the euthanasia decision is made remains vague.

Local media previously reported that the AKP plans to put the animals to sleep unless they are adopted after 30 days. This detail is not in the current draft. Activists criticize, however, that the criteria for killing the animals are still unclear.

Senol Karakas, who is taking part in the protests in Istanbul, said he does not believe that the animals are housed and cared for in shelters in an appropriate manner.

"These are all lies … The animals are collected to be killed,” he told dpa. Karakas said he is aware of dire conditions in animal shelters where he said some dogs were in the past killed with shovels.

The government estimates that around 4 million stray dogs roam the streets of Turkey. Current shelters in the country, however, can house only around 100,000 of them, official data shows.

The draft bill stipulates that by the end of 2028, municipalities should ensure that enough accommodation is created. Failure to do so could result in prison sentences.

The government justifies the measure, among other things, by arguing that stray dogs repeatedly attack locals.

Turkey’s largest opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which won the most mayoral seats in March’s local polls, opposes the plan.

The party says it wants to solve the street animal problem by consistently implementing the method of castration, vaccination and release back into the area of ​​origin.

Source: GNA