Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to a contentious law allowing municipalities to round up stray animals and euthanise those not adopted, prompting protests from animal rights groups.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had filed the case against 16 articles of the amended Animal Protection Law No. 7527, claiming it violated the right to life. The court dismissed the appeal — unanimously for some articles, and by majority for others — according to local media reports.
The law permits local authorities to capture stray cats and dogs, keep them in shelters until adopted, or authorise their killing. Rights groups condemned the ruling and staged protests outside the court in Ankara, where police intervened with shields to block demonstrators.
Campaigners warned the law paves the way for widespread killings, calling it a grave setback for animal welfare in Turkey.
