President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday promised to solve the problem of stray animals in Turkey in line with the country’s cultural and religious values, the Kısa Dalga news website reported.
Erdoğan emphasized the government’s duty to protect citizens from harm caused by stray animals.
He was speaking at an event on Human Rights Day, marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The killing of stray animals is commonplace in Turkey, with dogs being particular targets. In most cases, perpetrators are people disturbed by their barking or attacks on their livestock or other animals.
Stray dogs have been targeted even more since the serious injuries of a fourth-grader, Tunahan Yılmaz (10), in Ankara, who was attacked by a pack of dogs.
In addition to its poor record on human rights, the country also has a poor record on the protection of animal rights. There are frequent reports about the mass killing of stray dogs by municipalities, while animal cruelty is not punished by law.