Istanbul Bar Association’s Signature Campaign: ‘We Have No Lives to Leave to the Government”
The Istanbul Bar Association’s Animal Rights Center has launched a signature campaign against AKP’s proposal that paves the way for killing stray dogs.
The Istanbul Bar Association’s Animal Rights Center has initiated a signature campaign against the draft law to amend the Animal Protection Law regarding stray animals, prepared and submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly by the AKP.
In a statement made by the bar association, it was noted, “The efforts, which began under the pretext of finding a solution to the increasing dog population, have culminated in a draft law that includes the arbitrary killing of all stray animals, including cats, starting with breeds they themselves have banned. How ironic that no regulations have been made regarding legal and illegal breeding, which are the most significant causes of population increase.”
The statement continued with the following points:
“Although it was claimed that the views of all parties were taken into account during the preparation of the draft, the final product shows us that these views were only used to strengthen and justify their idea of massacre. Officials, who worked for days to give municipalities, which are responsible for protecting animals, the opportunity to become killers, and who presented plans to kill thousands of innocent lives as if they were public demands, will be remembered as a disgrace and a black mark in the history of law. Those who make the right to life of animals a subject of debate through this blood-smelling draft, which is far from solutions, conscience, and fairness, will be remembered with shame by history and never forgiven. It is evident that those who failed to fulfill any inspection and preventive obligations for the implementation of the Animal Protection Law No. 5199, which regulates measures for controlling the population, now threaten with heavy penalties such as imprisonment and perhaps even the appointment of trustees when it comes to killing. Their intention is not to ensure public health and safety but to slaughter animals.”
The statement highlighted that the only reason for the increasing population is the ministry and municipalities that fail or refuse to implement the law, stating, “For 20 years, from the ministry to the municipalities, from politicians to officials, none have fulfilled their responsibilities. We have no lives to leave to the discretion of a political power that has not fulfilled any responsibilities; you cannot take a life you did not give.”
The statement concluded with a call for support for the prepared signature text, saying, “We call on everyone: look into the eyes of your friends who are waiting for you on the street today and tell them we will not let them be killed. We respectfully announce to the public that we will fight against this draft in every possible way.”
