Turkey: Mass killings instead of sterilization of strays

Instead of promoting sterilizations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is planning mass killings.

The light-brown dog runs onto the street in Istanbul's Kadıköy district and attacks its victim. Only the brave intervention of passers-by saves the elderly woman, as can be seen in a video on the internet. Attacks like this are fuelling the debate about stray dogs in Turkey. Millions of ownerless dogs roam the country. The government is planning to have them euthanized if necessary.

The dogs are even keeping the president occupied. Between two speeches about the war in the Gaza Strip, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed concern: “We have a problem with stray dogs that does not exist in any developed country,” he said. The ownerless animals had caused 3’544 traffic accidents over the past five years, 55 people had died as a result of dogs and over 5’000 had been injured. Rabies was also on the rise. The World Health Organization classifies Turkey as a high-risk area for the disease.

Euthanasia after 30 days

The government estimates there are four million stray dogs; an agriculture minister spoke of ten million in 2022. The ruling AKP party wants to tackle the problem with a new law. The draft proposes capturing the animals on a large scale, sterilizing them and fitting them with a microchip. If no owner is found for a dog within 30 days, it is to be euthanized.

The planned killing of the animals is particularly controversial. Many are reminded of the “Tragedy of Hayırsızada”: in 1910, an estimated 60’000 stray dogs were captured in Istanbul and taken to the desolate island in the Sea of Marmara, where they tore each other apart.

Massacre instead of animal shelter – demonstrations planned

Animal welfare advocates speak of a planned massacre of street dogs. Haydar Özkan, Vice President of the Association for Animal Rights (Haykonfed), advocates in the newspaper «Duvar» for effective sterilization. So far, 1’100 of the 1’394 municipalities in Turkey have not even had an animal shelter — despite a law in force for three years that requires them to do so. On Sunday, animal rights activists demonstrated in Istanbul against euthanasia and in favor of the sterilization of stray dogs.

The Turkish Veterinary Chamber also rejects the draft law and complains of not having been consulted. "Killing is not a solution. The dog population could be reduced in a short time with effective sterilization," it stated in a declaration.

President demands 'more radical methods' instead of castrations

Agriculture Minister Ebrahim Yumakli attempts to reassure, stating that "it is possible to control the reproduction of stray dogs by sterilizing 70 percent of them within a year." However, in the past five years, an average of only 260’000 dogs per year have been castrated.

"We must move on to more radical methods," demanded the President, who fears for Turkey's image abroad. The approach taken so far has not improved the situation. "This problem must be resolved as quickly as possible to make the streets safe for everyone, especially for children."

For now, animal lovers and dog opponents continue to argue on social media. The latter spread horror stories of children with severe bite wounds. A cycling tourist, @Franck1936, reports on platform X that he abandoned his tour through Turkey because of the dogs: "A nightmare." Also the animal welfare issues surrounding hobby hunters show similar patterns of state-sanctioned mass actions against animals.

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