Turkey’s Interior Ministry has authorized an investigation into a pro-Kurdish party mayor after a stray dog killed a 5-year-old child and injured his 9-year-old brother in the eastern province of Van, the Karar daily reported on Wednesday.
The ministry said a civil inspection into the April 29 attack in Van’s Saray district had been completed and that permission had been granted to investigate Saray Mayor Davut Acar from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) over alleged negligence in carrying out municipal duties.
According to the ministry 5-year-old Hamza Özsoy was killed and 9-year-old Ayaz Özsoy was injured in the attack.
The inspection found that the Saray Municipality had failed to meet its legal obligations on the collection, care and rehabilitation of stray animals.
The ministry said residents, heads of neighborhoods and public institutions had filed repeated written and verbal complaints about stray dogs in the district but that the municipality had not rounded up the animals.
The ministry also rejected the municipality’s claim that it lacked a suitable vehicle, saying official records showed the relevant service vehicle had been returned to the municipality.
“Our ministry will determinedly continue to protect the safety of our citizens and ensure that public officials carry out their responsibilities in full,” the statement said.
Karar described the decision as a first for the Interior Ministry and said it could set a precedent for municipalities accused of failing to meet the legal requirements on stray animals.
The case is likely to revive concerns raised by opposition parties and animal rights advocates when Turkey adopted a controversial stray animal law in 2024.
Critics warned at the time that the law could be used to pressure opposition-run municipalities as well as lead to the mass confinement or killing of animals.
The law expanded municipalities’ authority to remove stray dogs from the streets and put them in shelters. The government said the measure was needed to address public safety concerns, including dog attacks, traffic accidents and the risk of rabies.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) petitioned the Constitutional Court in August 2024 to annul most of the law’s provisions, arguing that it violated the right to life and contradicted international agreements. The court rejected the challenge in May 2025, leaving the law in force.
Animal rights advocates say the authorities should focus on mass sterilization, vaccination, adoption and stronger municipal services rather than large-scale collection campaigns that could leave animals in overcrowded or poorly monitored shelters.
The issue returned to the national agenda earlier this month when Ankara police instructed municipalities in the capital to round up stray dogs before a NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8. Local authorities were asked to remove animals from routes to be used by summit delegations as well as from areas near venues, airports and hotels.
The decision also comes amid pressure on opposition municipalities in Turkey, where government critics have long accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of using administrative and judicial tools to target elected mayors from opposition parties.
The government denies that such actions are politically motivated and says public officials are held accountable when they fail to perform their duties.