ANKARA: Turkish police scuffled with protesters in the capital Ankara on Friday during a demonstration against plans to round up millions of stray dogs.
The plan, presented to parliament by President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party earlier this month, has alarmed animal lovers who say a mass neutering campaign would be a better solution than locking dogs up in shelters.
Street dog tries to protect protestor dragged away by security police in Turkey 🇹🇷 for speaking out against Government plans mass slaughter stray dogs & cats #Turkey https://t.co/vgwST6mMUB
— dominic dyer (@domdyer70) July 25, 2024
Police pushed back the protesters as they tried to gather in the city centre, leading to scuffles.
The demonstrators held banners reading, “You cannot round them up, you cannot jail them, you cannot kill them” and “Take back the law”.
“People here are those taking care of many animals. What is this grudge? Do you want the dogs and cats on the street to be killed?” one protester said through a megaphone.
State media reported that under the law, state municipalities would be responsible for rounding up strays, shelter them for around 30 days, and if the animals are not adopted in that time, euthanise them. Aggressive dogs or any with untreatable diseases would also be put down.
Watch @indiatvnews Exclusive frm #Nurdagi, #Turkey.
6 year old kid Veren taken out alive by #TeamIndia11 of @NDRFHQ. After 72 hr,sniffer dog #Julie & #Romeo located kid. Her mother covered her with her hand but her mother & father died, Veren survived. Team #NDRF. pic.twitter.com/jXn1rjOONA— Manish Prasad (@manishindiatv) February 10, 2023
The population of street dogs in Turkey is estimated to be 4 million, and 2.5 million dogs have been neutered in the past 20 years by municipalities, according to the draft bill.
Search & rescue dogs from around the world, including this one from Mexico, literally saved people’s lives after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.
Now in 2024 the Turkish government is enforcing the mass slaughter of stray dogs. What shameful, disgusting hypocrisy. #ErdoÄŸan pic.twitter.com/S6ichlPP7a— Dan Richardson (@dan710ths) July 25, 2024
There are currently 322 animal shelters with a capacity to host a total of 105,000 canines, the bill says.
(REUTERS)
