Following World Animal Day, which we celebrated together last week on 4 October, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the true meaning of the environmentalist approach I wholeheartedly embrace both personally and in my professional life, and the importance of protecting the environment and loving animals and all living things.
The most comprehensive and comprehensive information about World Animal Day can be found on the WWF website:
https://www.wwf.org.tr/sizneyapabilirsiniz/evlat_edinin2/4ekimhayvanlarkorumagunu/
You can find the following information about World Animal Day at this link:
Why is 4 October World Animal Day important?
We depend on nature and its diversity to provide for almost everything we need for life. Our survival depends on the extraordinary diversity of plants and animals, their habitats, and the environments they inhabit. However, this diversity is under threat as our demand for natural resources continually increases.
Today, 7 billion people live on Earth. By 2050, this number is projected to approach 10 billion. Humans are multiplying, but the situation is the opposite for species other than us. Rapidly increasing populations, construction, destruction of natural areas, illegal hunting, and trade are disrupting the balance of wildlife, and wildlife is being driven towards extinction. In short, while we are multiplying, the number of other creatures with whom we share our world is rapidly decreasing.
There are many species of our planet and its diversity that have yet to be discovered. However, one thing is clear: We are rapidly losing our current values. Therefore, World Animal Day, 4 October, is crucial for remembering that not only the animals we see with our eyes but also all animals on Earth have the right to life.
What is the status of species worldwide?
WWF uses the Living Planet Index to monitor biodiversity in its Living Planet Report. The Index, which examines more than 2,500 species, reveals a 28% decline in biodiversity since 1970.
WWF, which fulfills a significant mission globally, is also achieving great things in Turkey under the leadership of Aslı Pasinli. TİDER’s “Waste Prevention Vision,” which I previously shared, aligns particularly well with their vision.
We would be happy to include WWF in the NGO solidarity we’ve been continuing since the beginning of this year. I believe that TİDER and WWF, with whom we share a passion for protecting our planet, will forge important collaborations in the future. Best of luck…
I would like to remind you that Animal Protection Day is not just for the animals we see before us, but for all animals. Therefore, I reiterate that we must protect our nature and stop climate change for the right to life of all living creatures on Earth. In this regard, I strive to do everything in my power to protect the environment.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9YqKqZu798
Green energy and waste prevention
For example, as you know, renewable energy is the most effective tool in the fight against climate change. I am a firm advocate for the rapid transition from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy. In fact, in 2013, I wrote an article titled “Why Turkey should aim for 100% renewable energy?” in Turkish Policy Quarterly: http://turkishpolicy.com/article/632/why-turkey-should-aim-for-100-renewable-energy-summer-2013 . I am one of the pioneers of solar energy in my country. I also work in the wind and biogas fields.
With TİDER, of which I am the founding president, we have a very important vision of preventing waste. I am the one who laid the foundation for these strategies. If we can prevent waste, we will make a significant contribution to nature. After all, everything is in a natural cycle. By preventing waste, we are trying to keep organic food and waste within the natural cycle. To achieve this, we need to establish a system of food banks, animal shelters, and biogas/composting facilities. We also absolutely must recycle commodities like paper, plastic, and metal.
Not just words, but genuine environmentalism.
I’m not one of those people who plant three or five trees and flaunt my environmentalism. It’s my nature that when I say something, I always express it sincerely and stand behind it. When I proudly declare “I’m an environmentalist” and advise everyone around me to “be an environmentalist,” I mean it completely, and I don’t just say it to sound good. I’ve been a Greenpeace member and support its work since my university years, nearly 20 years. Everyone at our energy company knows how sensitive I am to these issues. They also know that I say, “I’ll fire anyone who cuts down a tree.” We don’t cut down trees.
In the worst-case scenario, we transplant a tree and plant another one next to the transplanted one. This is our unwavering rule at our energy company. Incidentally, I’d like to mention that I grew up with the most beautiful Judas tree in Istanbul.
The house in Bebek where my twin brother and I grew up. Our Judas tree is one of the symbols of Istanbul.
I’m working on organic agriculture, ecological building, and water technologies. I’ll share these with you in the future. Currently, I can say that we’re working on solar power plant-fed agricultural irrigation projects. As a reminder, I’d like to share a video of an agricultural irrigation project we implemented in Şanlıurfa: https://vimeo.com/127075546
Love of Animals and Living Things
Furthermore, environmentalism isn’t just about ‘love of trees.’ It’s about loving and respecting all living things. For instance, love of animals is equally important. It goes without saying, but I absolutely love all animals. Animals are beautiful and simple creatures. They are pure, sincere, and never stingy.
My closeness to animals goes back a long way, to my childhood. I’ve even had some unusual animals enter my life.
From left to right: My cousin Evren, my twin Baran, and me with the monkey I’m hugging
For example, in the house where I grew up in Bebek, we had a wolf-breed dog. My father had adopted this dog from the street. He lived with us and had a kennel in the garden. Even though his kennel was on a raised platform like a bank, Charlie always managed to leave his territory and visit his girlfriend in Bebek. Sometimes, when we were walking along the beach, Baby would join us and accompany us home. Then, he would go to his kennel in the garden.
Animals have keen senses. On one such walk, Charlie didn’t like a man walking along the road, so he growled, thinking he meant to harm us. Then, when he attacked the man, my father barely managed to save him from Charlie’s grasp.
Our funny, jealous monkey, Boncuk
Another example is my aunt’s monkey, Boncuk, from India. Boncuk was truly an incredible animal. She hung out with us like a human, showing great affection to those she loved and keeping those she didn’t like close. She was very agile and could jump incredibly high. She would react instantly to something she liked or disliked. Being a female, she was very devoted to her care. It was also very funny. Unfortunately, we lost Boncuk to uterine cancer.
Now, because I travel a lot and am incredibly busy, I can’t keep a pet at home all the time. I love my parents’ dogs. They’re both very fond of me. Whenever I go out, I tell my mother in advance. She also spreads newspaper at the entrance to the house because whenever I touch her Volpino (Italian) dog, Karino, she pees in her pants. She’s been doing this since she was little. I’ve consulted veterinarians, and they tell me, “Animals sometimes get carried away when they’re overly attached to someone.” We haven’t found a solution, but when love is involved, peeing doesn’t matter. After that, I continue to love her.
Karino and I
My dad’s Coton Tulear (French) dog, Betsy, is a real treat! Every time I come home, she starts running laps around in circles. When she used to work in the family business, she’d come into our office and know where my room was and come right over to me. Now she’s older and has poor vision, but she starts running laps again when she hears my voice. She’s a wonderful dog.
Betsy and I
Speaking of dogs, I’d like to share with you my story about Moka, a Çatalburun breed that had a significant impact on my life after meeting him for a short time:
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/mokadan-bonbona-rotadan-sasmayan-manevralar
Hanging out in the hotel lobby with Moka
Of course, I’d also like to introduce you to our beautiful office dog, Kontes. Adopted by Vodasoft, with whom we merged in 2016, Kontes has taken her place comfortably at the entrance (inside) of our new office. A part of our lives, Kontes lives happily as the dog of over 700 employees, the primary recipient of all our attention and care.
My grandmother is on my arm, my mother is on my left, and my Aunt Gülten is in the background. The Countess greets us all at the entrance with all her charm.
Dogs are sweet. I visited Wuufbox Cafe in Arnavutköy with a friend, which caters to dogs and their owners, and these colorful scenes emerged:
I also feed the cats in my complex. These days, a mother and her four kittens have taken over my garden. Every morning, I feed them the food I buy for home. Of course, the other cats in the complex come too, and I try to feed them as much as I can.
Feeding the cats in my garden
Speaking of cats, of course, cats and dogs are always present in our lives. The night before the Bozcaada Run, which we recently participated in, a little visitor came to our table:
Finally, I’d like to share what I do for animals. As part of our waste prevention vision, we try to provide as much of the products we save from waste to animal volunteers as possible. We collaborate with Haykonfed (Confederation for the Rights of Animals to Live). We are also open to collaborating with other animal associations.
The Tragedy of Abandoned Animals
Frankly, I don’t like seeing animals living on the streets. I wish they were all adopted and received the necessary care and attention. I’ve been told that the average lifespan of animals on the streets in Turkey is three years. This is truly sad.
You can find all kinds of animals on the streets. I live in Çekmeköy. There are countless animals abandoned in the forests here. There are dogs of all breeds, cats, and so on. Now they roam these places in packs. They’re dumped not only in the forest but also in the city center.
The definition of uncouth, unscrupulous relationships with animals is as follows: Dogs that seem cute when they’re young are bought on a whim from pet shops. As the animals grow, they become difficult to care for, or the responsibility of animals that need constant attention becomes too much. So, these heartless people abandon them on the street. A friend of mine even experienced the following incident: A luxury Mercedes pulls up in front of him in Nişantaşı, the door opens, and a purebred hunting dog is thrown into the middle of the street and quickly whisked away. Seeing the dog, whose legs are trembling with fear, my friend, a devoted animal lover, picks it up, takes it to his nearby home, and adopts it. It was a lucky dog, indeed. Many are not as fortunate.
The Importance of Animal Shelters and Veterinarians
What needs to be done here is to establish fully equipped animal shelters on real farms. Every communication campaign and effort is needed to ensure that the animals in these shelters are adopted. To support this, I believe the sale of animals in pet shops should be banned. People should go to pet shops and adopt cats and dogs in animal shelters instead of buying them.
Veterinarians are also crucial in this context. There’s a serious veterinary shortage in Turkey. I’ve been told that most veterinarians work in animal sacrifices. However, they’re not equipped to sterilize animals in a healthy way or provide them with the necessary care and compassion when they get sick. Of course, they’re talking about the majority; especially those working in municipalities.
The origin of all beauty…
One animal lover even asked me, “Why would a veterinarian who was taught to slaughter animals try to heal a dying animal?” I thought about it, and it made sense. So, there’s a great need for veterinarians with a genuine love for animals. We need to quickly address this veterinary shortage in public, private, and NGO sectors. This is for everyone involved.
In conclusion, love for animals is one of the purest and most beautiful forms of love. It’s not based on expectations of return and represents the rawest form of love. To expand further, love for animals means love for humans.
It’s much easier to achieve well-being in a society that loves animals and values them. Because the root of all beauty and harmonious living is love.
Stay with love and take care of all the living things around you…
While feeding the seagulls on the ferry
While ferrying a turtle stuck in the middle of the asphalt on the island to safety,
Tag: lifestyle
