Turkey will kill sick and aggressive street dogs
Approximately four million stray dogs roam the streets of Turkey, according to President Erdogan. To regain control of the situation, the Turkish Parliament has now approved a bill for the killing of such dogs - if they are sick or aggressive. The controversial article of the law, which began consideration on Sunday, was approved by a majority of the legislators in Ankara. This section permits the killing of dogs that "pose a threat to human and animal life."
Dogs with "uncontrollable negative behavior" and those with contagious or incurable diseases are also to be killed, according to the proposed law. The passage of the entire law could occur in the coming days. Animal rights activists fear a mass campaign for the killing of stray dogs.
The Turkish opposition, which holds the mayorships in the capital Ankara and the metropolis Istanbul, has announced it will not enforce the new regulation if it is passed by the parliament. They fear a "massacre." On Sunday, opposition legislators demonstrated in the parliament against the text of the law, which also includes a campaign for the sterilization of stray dogs, by wearing white gloves smeared with artificial blood.
Attacks and Rabies
The Turkish government defends the new regulation due to an increase in attacks by stray dogs and cases of rabies among the homeless animals. "Our people want secure streets," stated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His Islamist-conservative AKP party and its allies hold the majority in parliament.
At the end of May, Erdogan highlighted that there are approximately four million stray dogs in Turkey - more than in any other developed country in the world. However, there have been protests against the planned killing of stray dogs in recent weeks.
In the discussions, there was also a reminder of a campaign against stray dogs in the Ottoman Empire. In 1910, tens of thousands of stray dogs in Istanbul were rounded up and taken to a deserted island in the Marmara Sea. The dogs ate each other due to hunger, and most of the animals eventually starved to death.
In response to the concerns about stray dog attacks and rabies outbreaks, President Erdogan advocated for a legislative solution in the realm of Politics and Law.
The controversial proposal, which includes the potential killing of aggressive or sick stray dogs, has sparked controversy within Animal Protection circles, with activists fearing a mass extermination of these animals in Turkey.
