Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister, İbrahim Yumaklı, warned on Wednesday that municipal mayors refusing to comply with the proposed “mass euthanasia” legislation for stray dogs could face prison sentences of six months to two years. The announcement followed heated discussions in the Parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Commission, where the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), approved the proposal to amend the Animal Protection Law.
The government argues that the previous “catch, neuter, release” model has been ineffective, resulting in an increase in stray dog populations that negatively impacts social life. The new legislation mandates that stray dogs be collected and euthanised if deemed aggressive or terminally ill, with an estimated four million dogs potentially affected. “Our primary perspective is to eliminate issues affecting social life and focus on rehoming,” Yumaklı stated.
Opposition parties, including the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, have strongly condemned the proposal. CHP spokesperson Deniz Yucel stressed that CHP municipalities would not comply with the law, labelling such compliance as “staining their hands with blood”.
The DEM Party, in a dissenting opinion drafted by MP for Ağrı (Agirî) Nejla Demir, and MP for Şanlıurfa (Riha) Ferit Şenyaşar, criticised the amendments for being disconnected from societal needs and driven by a singular mindset. The party argued that the law lacks scientific basis and data support, and that the drafting process had excluded key stakeholders, including opposition parties, relevant institutions, experts and NGOs. They highlighted the suppression of dissent during commission meetings and linked the proposed legislation to broader capitalist and authoritarian ideologies, advocating instead for policies that recognise the rights of all living beings and respect ecological balance.
Turkey’s traditional approach to stray animals involves integrating them into communities with essential care, contrasting sharply with Western practices of shelter placement and rehoming. Critics of the new legislation point to systemic failures in the implementation of existing laws, poor conditions in animal shelters and municipal responsibilities not being properly fulfilled.
While opposition to the legislation within Turkey continues to grow, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets and calling for more humane alternatives, international reactions have also been swift. Turkey’s multi-million dollar tourism sector could face a significant blow if it moves forward with the planned mass ‘euthanasia’ of stray dogs, warns Dominic Dyer, a leading animal welfare campaigner in the United Kingdom. “It’s not just British, it’s the Germans, Dutch and Swedes and other holidaymakers who go there in their millions who are saying they’ll just travel somewhere else,” he said.
