The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

Turkey aims to cull its stray dogs, critics say move is about politics

DOGS HAVE been a prominent part of Turkish culture for centuries. The Kangal Shepherd breed is a national treasure featured on postage stamps, and some strays have become local celebritie­s, like Boji, who earned fame for riding Istanbul’s public transporta­tion.

But this year, Turkey’s stray dogs have become a contentiou­s political issue.

The country’s Parliament passed a law this week requiring municipali­ties to round up stray dogs and put them into shelters, and permitting aggressive or ill animals to be euthanised. The law mandates shelter improvemen­ts by 2028 and threatens mayors with prison time if they don’t enforce the law.

But critics have expressed fears that the law may be used to target political opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party pushed through the legislatio­n. Some are also concerned about inadequate, overcrowde­d shelters for the country’s stray dog population — estimated to be around four million. “The shelter capacity is insufficie­nt,” said Dr. Murat Arslan, the president of the Turkish Veterinary Medical Associatio­n. All the country’s shelters combined have capacity for just over 100,000 animals, he said, and most municipali­ties have no shelters at all.

“Currently, 3,000 veterinari­ans are employed in municipali­ties, but at least 10,000 more are needed,” Dr. Arslan said, noting that the new law does not require hiring additional veterinari­ans. In December, Dr. Arslan’s agency presented its recommenda­tions to the government. “We provided our report and explained the source of the problem,” he said. “I don’t think they took any of it into account.”

President Erdogan cited dogs attacking people and other animals, as well as causing traffic accidents, in pushing for the law. “Although some people persistent­ly ignore it, Turkey has a stray dog problem,” he told legislator­s last week. President Erdogan’s Justice and Developmen­t Party did not respond to requests for comment. But critics of the law believe it is motivated more by politics than by safety concerns.

“The law is claimed to solve the problem of stray animals on the streets, but it rather seems like a political move,” said Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of politics at Beykoz University in Istanbul.

President Erdogan’s party suffered significan­t losses in local elections in March — its worst showing in local elections since its foundation and a major setback for Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for over two decades. Han saw the new law as a way for Erdogan’s government to push back on local opposition.

“It now seeks to limit the opportunit­ies available to opposition municipali­ties and mayors, to stop them from expanding their voter base,” he said of the president’s party. The legislatio­n could also help shore up support among Erdogan’s base, which has been hard hit by persistent high inflation.