Turkish lawyer saves seven stags by appealing hunting tender worth thousands of liras
A lawyer in Turkey's Black Sea region saved seven stags from getting killed by appealing a state tender that offered over 8,000 Turkish Liras ($1,081) for each animal. Lawyer Suna Soydaş Fırat said that animal rights defenders' ultimately goal is for the government to create extensive protection laws for animals.
Duvar English
A lawyer successfully appealed a state tender for the hunt of seven stags in the northern province of Kastamonu, news portal Demokrat Haber reported on Aug. 25.
Lawyer Suna Soydaş Fırat appealed the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry's tender that offered between 8,500 liras and 11,500 liras ($1,150 - $1,555) for each stag that would be killed, an attempt to boost hunting tourism.
Animal rights defender Fırat's appeal resulted in a suspension of the tender. Fırat noted that she had also previously stopped a similar hunting tender in her current residence of Bursa in Turkey's west.
"Of course we criticize things on social media but something should be done by lawyers. I used the legal keyboard instead of the social media keyboard," Fırat said.
The lawyer added that the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry had issued a memo that permitted hunting of multiple animals, and that they had to appeal each item separately.
"It's tiring but our fight will continue," Fırat said.
"I can't remain silent in the face of animals' slaughter to boost hunting tourism. I'm happy to do my duty as a human being."
Animals rights defenders' ultimate goal is for Ankara to create extensive protection laws, Fırat added.