The Turkish parliament has passed the first five provisions of a contentious 17-article bill on stray animal regulation, which has sparked public outcry. The Grand National Assembly approved the articles during a 14-hour session on Sunday, with the fifth provision allowing certain street dogs to be put down, despite opposition efforts to remove it.
The attempts of opposition parties to exclude the fifth provision were rejected. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aims to finalise the bill before the parliament goes into recess on 1 August. Initially approved by the Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Committee, the provision was amended to remove the term “euthanasia” but still permits dogs to be put down under specific circumstances according to veterinary regulations.
The amendment states: “Dogs taken into shelters that pose a danger to human and animal health, display uncontrollable negative behaviour, suffer from contagious or untreatable diseases or are prohibited from being owned will be subjected to measures as outlined in the Veterinary Services Law.”
Protests erupted during the session, with main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party deputies wearing red-painted white gloves and displaying banners reading “Stop the killing, let them live” and “Say no to the bloody law.” Meanwhile, outside the parliament, animal rights activists and civil society groups demonstrated against the bill.
CHP MP Deniz Yavuzyılmaz criticised the bill, stating, “With this proposal, the AKP is essentially saying ‘street dogs will either die or be killed.’ This article means death! You want to kill animals! You won’t be able to look your children in the eye.” DEM Party MP Perihan Koca called the bill a “massacre law”, adding “You manipulated the public by saying ‘euthanasia is being removed’, but you are bringing euthanasia back in the worst form.”
Despite these protests, the first five articles of the bill were approved. CHP leader Özgür Özel is expected to join the ongoing discussions in the parliament on Monday.
