New law planned

Turks protest against the killing of street animals

A street dog in Istanbul

(Bild: AP/Francisco Seco)

In Turkey, more and more people are taking to the streets against a planned law that would allow the killing of street animals. Protests have been taking place for days in numerous cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

The draft provides for the animal protection law to be amended. According to the bill, street dogs and other stray animals would initially be collected and placed in shelters. The aim is to find homes for them. However, euthanasia is also possible in certain cases - for example, if the animals are "aggressive", pose "a threat to public safety", have infectious diseases or cause "damage to water resources, wildlife or biodiversity".

No deadline for placement
The media had previously reported that the Islamic-conservative ruling party AKP was planning to collect and euthanize street dogs if they could not be placed after 30 days. However, there is no such passage in the current draft law. Animal rights activists criticize that the criteria for euthanasia are too vague and fear a mass killing.

Demonstrating animal rights activists in Istanbul

(Bild: AP/Francisco Seco)

A woman feeds a street dog.

(Bild: AP/Francisco Seco)

They have been mobilizing against the project in numerous cities for days. In Istanbul, the demonstrators held up signs reading "Murder". According to government figures, there are an estimated four million street dogs in Turkey, but only 100,000 places in animal shelters. Activist Senol Karakas therefore does not believe that the animals can be properly housed and cared for. In the past, dogs have been beaten to death with shovels.

Municipalities should organize accommodation
The draft stipulates that local authorities should create enough accommodation by the end of 2028. If they fail to do so, they could even face prison sentences. The government justifies the plan on the grounds that street dogs keep attacking people. The main opposition party CHP wants to focus instead on consistent neutering, vaccinations and subsequent release in the area of origin.