(7 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ankara, Turkey – 7 May 2025
1. Various of demonstration in front of constitutional court, with dogs in attendance
STORYLINE:
Turkey’s top court on Wednesday rejected a request to annul a controversial law that aims to keep stray dogs off Turkey’s streets, but which critics fear could lead to the killing of the animals.
The country’s main opposition party had argued that the law, enacted last year, violated animal rights and had called for the cancellation of several of its articles.
The Constitutional Court ruled however that the provisions are legally valid and for it to continue to be implemented.
Dozens of animal rights activists had gathered near the Constitutional Court to press the court to repeal the law, holding up posters reading "cancel the blood-ridden law" and shouting anti-government slogans.
The government estimated that some four 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 will 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.
Animal lovers have also claimed that many street animals were indiscriminately killed after the passage of the law.
Wednesday’s ruling is likely to increase pressure on municipalities to enforce the law and build more shelters.
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