A man with his dog, Istanbul, Turkey
The recent approval of a law in Turkey has sparked controversy, permitting the culling of an estimated 4 million stray dogs that roam the streets of the country.
Protests have erupted across Turkey with animal lovers advocating against the euthanization of these strays. Opposition lawmakers have labeled the law as a “massacre law,” which was passed this week.
Our activist friend Gökçe Uygun from Istanbul expressed disappointment and anger over the new law, stating that it was only approved in the parliament two days ago.
The decision to legalize the killing of stray dogs follows a similar incident in Hebron where a mayor offered money to cull local dog populations, a practice that was shut down by animal activist Diana Babish.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the measure into law, thanking his ruling party for listening to the people despite opposition challenges and false campaigns.
King Mutt: a dog mummy buried in Egypt. As many as eight million dogs and other animals were buried in the tomb found in 2015 [Getty]
But there is a cultural aspect to consider as well. Muslims in Turkey, where the majority population of Muslims are located, have varying views on dogs. Some schools of Islamic law consider all dogs unclean, while others differentiate between wild and pet dogs in terms of impurity.
Protests continue in Istanbul and Ankara against the new law, with citizens emphasizing the importance of life and solidarity over hatred and hostility.
Turkey’s main opposition party has pledged to challenge the law in the supreme court.
While Turkey had previously introduced laws to manage the stray dog population through catch-spay-release programs, critics argue that enforcement has been lacking, leading to the current situation.
