The treatment of animals in our country is a matter that pains me deeply and deeply. It is a disgrace to the society we live in. While animal rights are practically nonexistent in our country, the long-awaited “animal rights law” proposal was approved on 14 July despite numerous objections. This law left me with two impressions. First, it’s better than nothing, and second, we still have a lot of work to do regarding this law, which fails to protect animals.
Those closely involved in animal rights know that the “Animal Rights Law” has been in the works for many years, and that all animal lovers, especially animal NGOs, have put in significant effort and lobbied to ensure its proper passage. On 9 July, this long-awaited “animal rights law” was passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, despite the opposition’s objections. The law went to President Erdoğan for approval. After all, it’s a case of “What happened after it passed Parliament?” Animal rights advocates stated that the proposed law, the “Animal Protection Law,” completely failed to meet their expectations, and the opposition stated that the bill was “full of flaws.”
First, Identifying the Problems
First, let’s identify the problems. Then, we’ll address this law. Finally, we’ll list the necessary steps. First, let’s share the results of the 2020 Animal Rights Violations Report, published by the Animal Rights Watch Committee: In 2020, there were “at least” 1,211,375,950 cases of human rights violations, “at least” 22,735,267 cases of torture, “at least” 3,036,175 cases of sexual violence, and “at least” 1,280,153,923 cases of restriction of freedom. You can read the details of these atrocities in the images below:
Of course, this information is based on what has been reported. There are also those that haven’t been reported. Add at least another hundred more human rights violations on top of that, and the number of these acts is truly incalculable. Shame on you!
With the situation in the country so dire, animal rights advocates have called on President Tayyip Erdoğan to veto the Animal Rights Law, which has been sought for years, stating that the Animal Protection Law passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly will not protect animals in its current form. You can read the details at https://www.diken.com.tr/stklardan-erdogana-cagri-hayvanlari-koruma-kanununu-veto-et/ .
24-Point Feedback
I think the 24-point feedback from the Animal Protection, Rescue and Sustenance Association (Haykurder) regarding the upcoming law says it all. You can find Haykurder’s feedback below:
You can read a summary of what’s discussed here in the news article at https://www.diken.com.tr/hayvanlari-koruma-tasarisina-24-baslikta-itiraz/ . According to this article:
Animal Hospitals: Establishing fully equipped animal hospitals is optional for municipalities. Because fully equipped hospitals for stray animals haven’t been established, local governments often fail to provide these services.
Pet Shops and Sales: The fact that a living being can be bought and sold like property demonstrates that it is not considered a life. Only the sale of cats and dogs is restricted. The proposal discriminates against animals and promotes animal racism. The sale of animals in pet shops should be banned regardless of breed or type.
Dangerous breed ban: There are no dangerous breeds. The fact that powerful animals are exploited and aggressively bred by malicious individuals and used as weapons is clear. The law should protect the rights of animals without discriminating between species and breeds.
Bestiality: The definition of “bestiality” is scandalous. Sexual intercourse is an act of mutual consent. The equivalent definitions for animal sexual crimes are “animal sexual assault” and “animal sexual abuse.” These regulations should include absolute, non-deferrable prison sentences. Psychological rehabilitation for zoophilia should be required.
Game and hunting: Instead of banning hunting, the proposal chooses to ignore this cruelty. A regulation should be enacted that bans all hunting and hunting activities and includes penalties.
Zoos: The term ‘zoos’ should be removed entirely from the proposal. Keeping animals in man-made facilities, regardless of their name, should be prohibited. Judicial and administrative penalties: The regulation does not provide significant changes or innovations compared to the previous one. A clause stating ‘non-deferrable’ should be added to prison sentences.
Complaint and investigation: Investigations should be launched ex officio, without the requirement for a complaint from the animal owner or any institution, and crimes should be reportable by anyone.
Spaying and sterilization: Planning for sterilization activities should not be based on human population. The law should also mandate the establishment of permanent rehabilitation centers in residential areas with a population of less than 25,000.
Subcontracting sterilization services: Sterilization can only be achieved nationwide, simultaneously within the boundaries of every town, over time, and in a planned manner.
Malfeasance in Office: One of the greatest expectations was that municipalities would be subject to penalties and that animal rights violations would be considered crimes of duty. The law does not propose such a regulation.
Pyrotechnics: Thousands of birds lose their lives every year due to fireworks. The use of fireworks should be banned. In fact, I wrote a blog post on this subject back in the day: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/gereksiz-ve-zararli-bir-icat-havai-fisek
Fur import and export: Fur import and export, as well as the use and production of fur, should be banned.
As a result, this bill has drawn criticism not only from civil society organizations but also from politicians.
TİP (Turkish Workers’ Party) MP Erkan Baş tweeted:
“The Turkish Grand National Assembly is currently debating the ‘Animal Protection Law,’ which the AKP has imposed despite the Investigation Commission report.
We are against presenting this as good news, even though it’s a fait accompli filled with errors. We want a genuine animal rights law.
The interest of AKP members can be seen in the photo.”
MPs from the ruling party, on the other hand, claim that the bill, which provides for prison sentences for crimes such as ‘torture, cruelty, and rape’ against animals, has met expectations.
Tuğba Gürsoy, Vice President of the Ankara Bar Association’s Animal Rights Center, stated that bar associations and civil society organizations are being stripped of their right to file complaints in cases of animal harm, saying, “The Ministry of Agriculture’s team is insufficient to keep up with all the human rights violations in Turkey. That’s what NGOs are for. A law that strips us of our legal capacity is unconstitutional. If it is approved in its current form, we will be forced to file a lawsuit, including on international platforms.”
“The law is far from being a deterrent”
Gülizar Biçer Karaca, a parliamentary representative representing the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the parliamentary Animal Rights Investigation Commission, interprets the law’s introduction as a sign of early elections.
According to the Animal Rights Federation, despite some small gains, the law is far from being a deterrent.
The law imposes fines such as 1,200 lira for not obtaining a digital ID for a cat or dog, 2,000 lira for abandoning a pet, 1,000 lira for not complying with care obligations, and 500 lira for keeping cats or dogs in pet shops.
According to animal rights advocates, penalties could be more equitable if they were determined based on a person’s income.
Spaying in the absence of shelter
Nesrin Çıtır, President of the Confederation of Animal Rights to Life, stated that 1,200 of 1,389 municipalities lack shelters for animals, yet AKP deputies told them, “We will sterilize a million animals in a year.” According to Çıtır, sterilizations will be carried out in municipalities’ “makeshift rooms.”*
I personally know Nesrin Çıtır, the founder of HAYKONFED. I 100% agree with and support her views on sterilization.
What finally happened? Despite all the objections, the Animal Rights Law was published in the Official Gazette on 14 July 2021, with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and entered into force. You can read the final version of the law, published in the Official Gazette and put into effect, below.
For more, please see https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/07/20210714-9.htm.
The struggle for a revision or new law will continue
What will happen next? The passage of the Animal Rights Law is a significant development, but the new law certainly does not meet expectations. The struggle will continue to revise this law to meet the expectations of everyone involved, or to replace it with a new law that will meet everyone’s expectations from scratch.
Invaluable animal rights advocates who have dedicated years to this cause are doing everything they can. If, despite all these efforts, nothing is done, I can say that I will personally take the necessary steps and do everything in my power to provide animals with the life they deserve. There are several ways to do this. I will write about what needs to be done for animals in another blog post. We will see what happens in the near future.
I will take my position based on what has been done and what has not been done in the future.
Ultimately, I hope to fulfill animal rights throughout my lifetime and that we, as a country, can pass this test of humanity.
*Bonus:
- Video news: A day with animal rights defenders.
- Article: The historical development of animal rights in Turkey and the world pdf_EJVS_153.pdf (eurasianjvetsci.org)
- The story of Hasan Kızıl, the ‘Life Repairer’ who makes prosthetics for animals with 3D printers‘Hayat Tamircisi’ Hasan Kızıl artık hayvanlara 3D yazıcı ile protez yapıyor – BBC News Türkçe
- Street animals in Istanbul during the first period of the pandemic
5. Animals wandering empty cities during the first period of the pandemic
6. Video news titled “One is a healthcare worker, the other a student: They are fighting for stray animals in need of care”:
* I would like to thank everyone who contributed to Kapsül, which has become an important source of information for me and from which I have benefited greatly in this content, especially Emrah Temizkan, who prepared an article on the Animal Rights Law.
Tag: education
