On Tuesday morning (July 30), Turkey’s parliament passed a controversial bill into law expected to result in the culling of stray dogs across the country. The bill has generated massive controversy in recent weeks as animal rights protestors have demonstrated against the measure. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has argued the bill is a necessary measure to deal with the country’s enormous street dog population, estimated at around four million animals.
The 17-article bill was passed early Tuesday with the affirmative votes of 275 members of parliament. 224 members of parliament voted against the measure.
Following the passage of the bill, AKP representatives posed for a celebratory picture on the parliament floor.
While an earlier proposal had called for the culling of all stray dogs not adopted within 30 days, the version of the law passed on Tuesday stipulated that dogs determined to be ‘sick, untreatable, aggressive, or a threat to public safety.’
The law tasks local municipalities with rounding up the animals and placing them in animal shelter facilities. Those dogs determined to fit the criteria for euthanization will be put down. Others will be sterilized and put up for adoption.
Opposition fears mass culling, financial pressure on local municipalities
Turkey is well known for its large population of street animals, which are often cared for by private citizens and neighborhood groups. The special relationship between these citizens and the animals has made the new culling law especially controversial. Many opposed to the measure have referred to the AKP initiative as a ‘dog massacre’.
Throughout the past two weeks, major demonstrations against the law have taken place in large cities across the country including Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul.
Recent polling has also shown limited support for the law among the public, and 390 municipalities across Turkey reportedly lack the animal shelter facilities that would be necessary to institute the AKP’s new bill.
While the bill passed Tuesday promises that the Ministry of Treasury and Finance will cover 40% of the expenses required to build such facilities, many in the opposition worry that the bill is a deliberate attempt to place extra financial strain on opposition-run municipalities.
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Many municipalities won by opposition parties in Turkey’s recent local elections inherited massive debts from their AKP predecessors. The new stray dog law, many fear, will add to these debts. Additionally, opposition officials working in municipal governments could face a two year jail sentence if they fail to implement the new law.
Concerns over ballooning stray dog population
Turkey’s ruling AKP has argued that a stray dog population estimated at around four million as well as recent fatalities requires population control measures.
A parent whose child was run over by a car while fleeing from a stray dog has been a vocal advocate for the new law, and AKP members of parliament have expressed that their children are unable to safely walk to school in their districts.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
