Turkey's World Animal Day celebration overshadowed by dog ​​killing allegations

Turkey marks World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare observed annually on October 4, this year amid allegations of a surge in violence against animals. stray dogs due to a controversial law enacted in August.

The law, adopted by Parliament and entered into force on August 2 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, authorizes municipalities to euthanize stray dogs deemed aggressive or sick. The legislation, which also mandates improved animal shelters by 2028, has sparked widespread protests from animal rights groups, who say it will pave the way for mass euthanasia of dogs strays.

Ahmet Kemal Enpolat, President of the Turkish Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP), told the Art Gerek news site that the annual celebration of World Animal Day, which aims to protect and promote animal welfare since its creation in 1925, is wasted this year. by a legislative context which favors harm rather than protection of animals in Türkiye.

He said that since the law was enacted, reports of violence against stray animals have become more widespread in Türkiye.

Every day, reports and images of violence and killings of stray animals emerge in many cities. More importantly, since this law was enacted, incidents of violence against animals have increased, Enpolat said, calling for a change in social attitudes toward animal rights.

Referring to an August 15 decision by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court on the grounds that it violates the constitutionally guaranteed right to life, enpolat said the highest court should suspend and repeal the law. law.

Burcu Yac, from the Animal Rights Center of the Ankara Bar Association, spoke about the ambiguous wording of the law which she said allowed individuals and institutions to act with impunity, leading to a grim toll of 60 confirmed animal deaths in the country over the past two months.

As long as this law remains in force, there may be no animals left to protect. This is why today we will hold a rally in front of the Constitutional Court to demand the repeal of the law, she added.

According to an article published Friday by the Bianet news site, several animal rights groups in Turkey announced that they would not celebrate World Animal Day this year in protest against the law. Instead, they were going to demonstrate at noon in front of the Constitutional Court in Ankara.

We cannot celebrate World Animal Day on October 4. We feel the shame of living in a country where laws are enacted for the slaughter of animals, the Sokaktaym Yanndaym (I am on the streets, I am with you) initiative said in a written statement. .

Ersin Tek of Law for LifeInitiative lamented that Turkey is discussing state-sponsored animal killings on a day meant to defend animal rights.

Unfortunately, we are aware that there may be incidents, especially in rural areas of Anatolia, that we have not even heard about. We believe hundreds, if not thousands, of animals were killed during this period, Tek said.

Reports of dog killings emerged in municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Nide and Ankara provinces, sparking an outcry on social media.

Although municipalities deny any wrongdoing, controversy over the new law and the discovery of dog carcasses have intensified debate over how Turkey should manage its stray dog ​​population, estimated at around 4 million. Animal rights advocates continue to call for mass sterilization efforts rather than euthanasia to control the stray dog ​​population, warning that the current approach could lead to further abuse.