Turkey divided over mass cull of 4mn street dogs

One pleasant summer night in Ankara, four dogs sprinted down a quiet street, barking confidently as they explored the city.

The loud group of dogs roam freely with some wearing colorful tags provided by the government. They are just a few of the approximately 4 million stray dogs and feral cats that can be found all over Turkey, in both urban areas and the vast countryside. The number of stray dogs is equal to the population of Izmir, which is Turkey's third largest province.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling party has indicated that they will soon introduce a harsher method of controlling the large population of dogs. The new approach involves local governments capturing stray dogs, sterilizing them, and offering them for adoption. If the dogs are not adopted within 30 days, they would be euthanized by injection, according to a proposed law shared in state-affiliated media outlets.

In late May, Erdoğan mentioned that we have a situation with stray dogs that is not seen in any advanced countries. He did not talk about the reported plans to eliminate them.

A structured plan to remove stray animals would be a big change from the way things have been done for the past twenty years. Instead of catching dogs, sterilizing them, and putting them back where they were found, this new approach is a major shift in strategy. Vets and politicians say that the old policies were not always carried out consistently.

The issue of how to deal with stray animals on the streets of Turkey has caused a lot of disagreement among the people living there. Some devout Muslims believe that dogs are impure, leading to a divide within Turkish society.

Erdoğan recently expressed concern over the growing issue of stray dogs, stating that it has become too difficult to handle. He mentioned the potential risks to public health and safety. The president and other high-ranking members of his Justice and Development party have also noted that these animals are hindering Turkey's progress, as many developed nations have successfully dealt with their stray animal populations.

However, there are still many people who love animals and believe that street dogs are an important part of Turkish culture. You can often see dog houses in parks and residents frequently leave food out for them to eat. In Istanbul, there was a famous shepherd mix named Boji who became a beloved figure on the city's transportation systems before being adopted by a wealthy family due to controversy.

However, some people see the large groups of stray dogs as a serious threat. There is not enough information on incidents involving stray dogs, but the authorities have reported that they have caused numerous car accidents in the past few years, resulting in fatalities.

Occasional accounts of stray dog assaults, mainly targeting kids and seniors, grab the attention of Turkish news outlets and spark lively discussions on the internet.

Murat Pınar said his daughter Mahra was struck by a truck and died after fighting for her life for 23 days. This tragic event inspired him to establish Turkey's Safe Streets Association in memory of his nine-year-old daughter.

He said: "The government should decide whether to sterilise, cull, or care for them right away. It's crucial to gather all of them as soon as possible."

Erdi Küçük, a veterinarian from Ankara, acknowledged that stray dogs pose a danger to both humans and other animals. He stated that these animals are a risk to public health as they can transmit diseases through bites or feces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US issues a warning to travelers about the prevalence of rabid dogs in Turkey.

Yet, Küçük mentioned that numerous veterinarians, including himself, would be hesitant to euthanize healthy animals. He supports a method in which dogs are gathered and either adopted or cared for on specific public areas.

Küçük's opinion seems to align with many Turks: a recent survey by Ankara's Metropoll found that nearly 80 percent believe stray dogs should be removed from the streets, but less than 3 percent think they should be euthanized.

Cihangir Gündoğdu, a professor at Istanbul Bilgi University who specializes in the history of stray animals, mentioned that the discussions on this topic are not a recent phenomenon. He highlighted that it had a significant impact on society since the 19th century, when the Ottoman Empire was trying to modernize its civil society.

The effort to remove stray dogs from the streets of Constantinople, which is now known as Istanbul, was at its highest point around 1910. During that time, authorities sent approximately 80,000 dogs to a deserted island in the Sea of Marmara, where they met a tragic fate. Gündoğdu mentioned that the cries of the dogs, left without food or water, could be heard from the shores of Istanbul.

As Erdoğan prepares to proceed with a current culling operation, a few opposition politicians are starting to support the stray dogs. Nimet Özdemir, a member of parliament from the Iyi party known for advocating animal rights, is concerned that this campaign will resemble the cruelty of past events, as it would be challenging to euthanize a large number of animals humanely. She expressed her fears that the animals would suffer pain and violence during their deaths.

Ozdemir claimed that Erdogan's administration, in power in Turkey for twenty years, had made a small issue much bigger by not successfully carrying out the sterilization program. Now, innocent and defenseless individuals were being punished for the government's failures.

Gülüzar Çıtak, the founder of a shelter for dogs on the outskirts of Ankara, which is funded by private donations, emphasized the importance of putting a stop to the breeding of pets. She noted that there is a high number of pet dogs being left on the streets in Turkey.

As she strolled through the outdoor space filled with dogs of various breeds and sizes, including large shepherds, a timid husky, and a lively golden retriever, Çıtak expressed her belief that breeding should be outlawed due to the high number of abandoned pets.

Çıtak shared stories about discovering a mother dog and her puppies abandoned on the roadside, as well as finding other dogs left on the outskirts of villages. Many of the dogs she's encountered have also been injured in accidents. Unfortunately, adoptions are infrequent, with only an average of five animals being taken from the shelter each month.

"Some dogs arrived as young pups, while others were abandoned due to their age," she explained. "Our shelter is currently at capacity, and I wish we had a larger area to accommodate more animals."