Turkish gov’t once again threatens municipalities refusing mass killing of stray dogs

Duvar English

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has stated in a TV interview with TGRT Haber that the municipalities that refused to implement the new Turkish law enabling authorities to murder stray animals en masse “could be subjected to penalties.”

The law mandates that municipalities must collect stray animals, and keep them in shelters until they are adopted. If they are not adopted, “euthanasia” can be performed with veterinary approval. Mayors and council members who fail to “perform their duties” may face prison sentences of six months to two years.

"We will check whether municipalities have allocated the necessary portion of their budget and whether they have met the standards in animal shelters. Some municipalities are implementing this very successfully, like Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and Düzce Municipality. Those who do not want to implement this are indeed looking to spend those budgets elsewhere,” Minister Yumaklı said.

He noted that municipalities that fail to comply would face legal consequences because “public officials are obliged to fulfill their duties,” and added, “The public itself is the biggest watchdog on the streets, and our citizens will naturally react to those who do not fulfill their responsibilities."

Minister Yumaklı said, "If the municipalities say we do not implement this, it means chaos. Social media never reflects the same as on the street."

The minister repeatedly criticized animal rights advocates who deemed the legislation a ‘’massacre law‘’ by saying “I don't understand where there is a massacre.”

After the law was passed, animal rights advocates found several indicators of mass murder operations against stray dogs near municipality shelters. Last week, activists found the bodies of dozens of brutally murdered stray dogs in a mass grave near the animal shelter of Ankara's Justice and Development Party-led Altındağ District Municipality.

The minister also defended Altındağ Municipality and stated that the mayor now has been “afraid to collect the bodies of stray dogs who were killed in the traffic.” The municipality has previously claimed that the mass grave belonged to those who were killed by cars. 

“They are trying to put the practitioners under pressure. Who benefits from this? First of all, our other ministries will follow the implementation of the law. We are the ministry that will ensure the responsibility of supervision and registration. When the secondary regulation is issued, we will give all the details.”

Minister Yumaklı stated that the government would issue a secondary regulation to lay down "all the details."

The new legislation allows for the euthanization of stray animals not only for medical reasons but also in other “exceptional” circumstances. Large metropolitan municipalities, provincial municipalities, and those with populations over 25,000 are required to establish shelters where collected animals would stay until they are adopted. 

Municipalities have time until Dec. 31, 2028, to establish shelters and improve the conditions of existing ones. Mayors and council members who fail to allocate the specified resources, or who do not use the allocated funds for the establishment of shelters, collection, rehabilitation, or care of stray animals, may face prison sentences of six months to two years.

Municipalities are required to allocate 0.5 percent of their final budget revenue for collection, sheltering, adoption, and euthanasia by Dec. 31, 2028. For metropolitan municipalities, this percentage is set at 0.3 percent.

Previously, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) stated that their municipalities would not implement the law even if it passed from the parliament.

The new legislation was passed in the General Assembly with 273 votes in favor, 224 against, and 1 abstention. The 17-article law received "yes" votes from the ruling AKP and far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition, while CHP, pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, and nationalist opposition Good (İYİ) Party members voted against it.

Minister Yumaklı on July 24 also threatened the municipalities before the legislation voted in the parliament.