Скачать или смотреть Top Turkish court rejects annulment of law critics fear spells death for thousands of stray dogs

(7 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ankara, Turkey - 7 May 2025
1. Various of demonstration in front of constitutional court, UPSOUND (Turkish) “Murdered AKP (ruling party); collaborationist CHP (main opposition party)”; “Withdraw the law! Withdraw the law!”; “Either all together or none at all”
2. Close of a banner (Turkish) “We want justice for all beings’ right to a fair life”
3. Mid of demonstrators
4. Close of a banner (Turkish) “Neuter. Vaccinate. Return.”
5. Woman with dog on leash
6. Cars parked on side of a road; banners read (Turkish) “#shelters-are-death-camps; #constitutional-court-annul-the-law”
7. Various of demonstration and dogs
STORYLINE:
Turkey’s top court on Wednesday rejected a request to annul a contentious law designed to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets, which critics said could lead to mass killings of the animals.

Dozens of animal rights activists gathered near the Constitutional Court to press for the law to be repealed, holding up posters reading “cancel the blood-ridden law” and shouting anti-government slogans.

The main opposition party had sought to overturn the legislation that was enacted last year, arguing that it violated animal rights and the right to life.

However, the Constitutional Court ruled that the provisions are legally valid and for it to continue to be implemented.

The government has estimated that some 4 million stray dogs roam Turkey’s cities and countryside. While many of the dogs are harmless, the government moved to tighten legislation on stray animals, following incidents of dog attacks, including cases involving children.

The law requires municipalities to round up stray dogs and relocate them into shelters where they would be vaccinated, neutered and spayed before making them available for adoption.

Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a health risk to humans would be euthanized.

Animal-lovers had strongly opposed the law, fearing it would lead to widespread culling or dogs ending up in disease-ridden and overcrowded shelters.

They raised concerns about how financially-strained municipalities would secure funding to construct the additional shelters.

They fear that, instead of allocating resources to care for the stray dogs, some municipalities may resort to euthanizing them under the pretext of illness.

Many animal rights advocates have also claimed that many street animals were indiscriminately killed after the passage of the law.

The court ruling is likely to increase pressure on municipalities to enforce the law.

AP video shot by Yakup Paksoy

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