Turkey is celebrating World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare marked annually on October 4, this year amid claims of a surge in violence against stray dogs due to a controversial law enacted in August.
The law, which was passed by parliament and signed into force by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 2, allows municipalities to euthanize stray dogs deemed aggressive or ill. The legislation, which also mandates improvements to animal shelters by 2028, has sparked widespread protests from animal rights groups, who argue that it will pave the way for the mass euthanasia of stray dogs.
Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat, president of the Animal Rights Federation in Turkey (HAYTAP), told the Artı Gerçek news website that the annual observance of World Animal Day, which has aimed to protect and promote animal welfare since its inception in 1925, is marred this year by a legislative backdrop that promotes harm rather than protection for animals in Turkey.
He said the since the enactment of the law, reports about violence against stray animals have become more widespread in Turkey.
“Every day, reports and footage of violence and killings of stray animals are emerging from numerous cities. … Most importantly, since the enactment of this law, incidents of violence against animals have increased,” Şenpolat said, calling for a shift in social attitudes toward animal rights.
Referring to a move by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on August 15 to challenge the law at the Constitutional Court on the grounds that it contravenes the right to life guaranteed in the constitution, Şenpolat said the top court should suspend and repeal the law.
Burcu Yağcı from the Ankara Bar Association’s Animal Rights Center talked about the law’s ambiguous wording which she said has enabled individuals and institutions to act with impunity, leading to a grim tally of 60 confirmed animal deaths in the country over the past two months.
“As long as this law remains in effect, there may be no animals left to protect. That’s why, we will hold a rally outside the Constitutional Court today demanding that the law be rescinded,” she added.
According to a report by the Bianet news website on Friday, several animal rights groups in Turkey have announced that they will not be celebrating World Animal Day this year in protest of the law. Instead, they were going to hold a protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Ankara at noon.
“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 Sokaktayım Yanındayım (I Am on the Street, I Am with You) initiative said in a written statement.
Ersin Tek from the Law for Life Initiative lamented the fact that Turkey is discussing state-backed animal killings on a day meant to champion animal rights.
“Unfortunately, we are aware that there may be incidents, especially in rural areas of Anatolia, that we haven’t even heard about. … We believe that possibly hundreds, if not thousands, of animals have been killed during this period,” Tek said.
Reports of mass dog killings have emerged in municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Niğde and Ankara provinces, prompting an outcry on social media.
Although the municipalities deny any wrongdoing, the controversy surrounding the new law and the discoveries of dog carcasses have intensified the debate over how Turkey should address its stray dog population, estimated to be around 4 million. Animal rights activists continue to call for mass sterilization efforts instead of euthanasia to control the stray dog population, warning that the current approach could lead to further abuse.