Turkish government again threatens communities to reject mass killing of stray dogs

Wall English

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said in a television interview with TGRT Haber that “penalties could be imposed” on municipalities that refused to implement Turkey’s new law that allows authorities to mass-kill stray animals.

The law requires municipalities to collect stray animals and house them in shelters until they are adopted. If they are not adopted, “euthanasia” can be carried out with veterinary approval. Mayors and council members who “fail to fulfill their duties” can face prison sentences of six months to two years.

“We will check whether the municipalities have allocated the required part of their budget and whether they have complied with the standards in animal shelters. Some municipalities are implementing this very successfully, such as Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and Düzce Municipality. Those who do not want to implement this are actually trying to spend their budgets elsewhere,” said Minister Yumaklı.

He pointed out that municipalities that do not comply will face legal consequences as “public officials have an obligation to fulfill their duties,” adding: “The public itself is the biggest watchdog on the street and our citizens will naturally react to those who fail to fulfill their responsibilities.”

Minister Yumaklı said: “When municipalities say we are not going to implement this, chaos reigns. The same thing is never reflected on social media as on the streets.”

The minister repeatedly criticised animal rights activists who viewed the legislation as a “massacre law”, saying: “I do not understand where there is a massacre.”

Following the law's passage, animal rights activists found several evidences of mass killings of stray dogs near municipal animal shelters. Last week, activists found the bodies of dozens of brutally murdered stray dogs in a mass grave near the animal shelter of the Altındağ district administration run by the Justice and Development Party in Ankara.

The minister also defended the Altındağ municipality, saying that the mayor is now “afraid to collect the bodies of stray dogs killed in traffic.” The municipality had previously claimed that the mass grave belonged to those killed by cars.

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

Minister Yumaklı stated that the government would issue a secondary regulation specifying “all the details”.

The new legislation allows the euthanasia of stray animals not only for medical reasons, but also in other “exceptional” cases. Large metropolises, provincial municipalities and communities with more than 25,000 inhabitants must set up animal shelters where the animals will be housed until they are adopted.

Municipalities have until December 31, 2028, to build animal shelters and improve the condition of existing ones. Mayors and council members who fail to provide the specified funds or use the allocated funds for the construction of animal shelters, collection, rehabilitation or care of stray animals may face prison sentences of six months to two years.

By December 31, 2028, municipalities must allocate 0.5 percent of their final budget revenues for collection, accommodation, adoption and euthanasia. For large cities, this percentage is 0.3 percent.

Previously, the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), had stated that its municipalities would not implement the law even if it were passed by parliament.

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

Minister Yumaklı also threatened the municipalities on July 24, before the law was voted on in parliament.