We welcome, or shall we say hellcome, the Black Sea region to the stray dog-killing pandemic in Turkey! Ladies and gentlemen, please say hello to the Black Sea town of Karabuk.
A group of animal rights volunteers found these dogs a couple of days ago at the town’s garbage dump site. Dumped there, just like garbage… Of course, they were not surprised. Why would they be? This is a scene as ordinary as your daily mail in Turkey.
This, as we say, is a pandemic. It is absolutely out of hand. Nothing can stand in its way. Turkey is fast becoming a land stained with dog blood from east to west, south to north.
Congratulations, congratulations to you all for spreading the pandemic further. And congratulations to you Mr. Huseyin Erer, mayor of Karabuk – you have contributed your fair share to it. You have earned a rightful place in this hall of shame…
If you want to congratulate him too, send him an e-mail:
The only problem with what you are doing is that it is plain stupid. Every fertile dog that survived this massacre will soon cause scores of new dogs to be born. Of course, you might then strike afresh but the same will happen again, again and again…
All you mayors who are out there, we have some shocking news for you: killing stray animals is cheap murder, the only way to control the stray animal population in any given area is neutering them all. It is that simple! What part of this don’t you get?
We are here until every single mayor in this country terminates the practice of killing stray animals and commits to neutering instead. And we know that thousands of others from around the world are with us on this. They have taken Turkey off their holiday map until the killing stops and the neutering starts. If you haven’t already done so, add your name next to thousands who have on this petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/turkeymassacre/index.html
Hi. Here is the letter I sent to the mayor this morning.
Dear Mr Huseyin Erer,
I want to tell you how much I’m horrified to know what happens to stray animals in Turkey. The pictures, the videos, all I read about it has disgusted me so much that I’ll never go to Turkey, and that is said, because we as french people love that beautiful land.
Maybe your purpose is to clean the sight for tourists and get rid of the stray dogs, but in fact it’s the contrary, these cruel treatments and corpses seen create a dirty image of sadness and cruelty.
On October the 4th, lots of countries have organised a rally for the Wolrd Animal Day and it appears that you will be in thefirst place. We’ll ask justice for these animals and for boycott of travels to Turkey if this situation goes on. By the way, it appears that it is against your laws.
The world is watching Turkey now, as it is watching all the countries that don’t understand that the way we treat animals, we treat humans. Who would like to go in a country where even puppies are slaughtered that way?
My heart is sad but my determination is intact. I will lead a rally in Paris on October the 4th and make sure everybody knows what happened in Beykoz and all around and we will ask justice altogether.
Yours sincerely,
Joelle Coudriou
Keep up the great job. You are not alone.
This is a disgrace and the the Turkish authorities should be thoroughly ashamed. Unfortunately from previous experience it is evident that they are not, and quite frankly have no respect for the lives of these animals or even for their own animal welfare ‘laws’. This is an insult to the good citizens of Turkey and if these atrocities were not so hideous it would be a joke that a country which wishes to be admitted to the EU can behave in such a primitive manner. I know I speak for many when I say that I will never visit Turkey as a tourist whilst this disgusting practice continues.
THIS IS GENOCIDE !
ROLL ON OCTOBER 4th 2008 – THE WORLD WILL SPEAK AGAINST THESE AUTROCITIES !
Why an other erthquake, fire or the pest is comming to all this bastards ??????? Where is gods finger?
This is horrific and Turkey either stops this carnage, or you will loose lots of tourists next year, this would be condemed by the EU ,and you would have to abide by EU animal laws when you join,this is disgusting and utterly unnessessary behaviour by any laws, this is against Turkish law, and who ever has done this needs to be punished, it is no good telling people of the world this is not happening because we already know it is, and there are world wide rallies going on in October to asked the Turkish Goverment to stop this once and for all, and the only way you will stop it is by the neuter and release system that is already in place, that is the law of your country, and I would suggest who ever is responsible for these barbaric cruel killings should read the law of TURKEY ON ANIMALS, THE WORLD IS WATCHING AND WAITING ,THE TURKISH GOVERMENT AND AUTHORITIES TO SEE IF YOU WILL RESPOND TO THE CALL FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO STOP THESE MASSACRES,these dogs are not wild they are homeless and in an earthquake country would it not be bettter to train these dogs to find victims in an earthquake to find people also to use in your army air force police yes you may be killing these dogs but remember one of these animals may save your life one day.
The Turkish Animal Protection Law (Legislation Number 5199) states that ‘It is a principle that local authorities, in cooperation with voluntary organisations, must establish animal shelters and hospitals for the protection of OWNERLESS and incapacitated animals, provide care and treatment for them and carry out educational programmes’.
Article 6 of the law states that ‘It is forbidden to kill OWNERLESS or incapacitated animals’ and ‘It is a principle that animals that have been sterilised, vaccinated and rehabilitated will be registered and released into the environment that they were taken from’.
Why then are ownerless (and in many cases, sterilised) street dogs in Turkey still being cruelly poisoned or collected from the streets to be dumped in forests to die of starvation and dehydration?
Turkish Officials are fast losing respect by not adhering to their own laws !
What this is for human mud!! No, these are no people! This is a speaking shit! They belong killed…. I want to meet such a mud in the civilised world! How do you stand it in this land among murderers?! Bah, I curse to You dog murderer.
The Turkish Animal Protection Law (Legislation Number 5199) states that ‘It is a principle that local authorities, in cooperation with voluntary organisations, must establish animal shelters and hospitals for the protection of OWNERLESS and incapacitated animals, provide care and treatment for them and carry out educational programmes’.
Article 6 of the law states that ‘It is forbidden to kill OWNERLESS or incapacitated animals’ and ‘It is a principle that animals that have been sterilised, vaccinated and rehabilitated will be registered and released into the environment that they were taken from’.
And the damned Mayors think : blablabla………..?!?!
Its all about money!!!
If you are the law, they own the law!
Turkish goverment is using the law on the way they think it suiteble for them!
No more streetdogs is bringing in more money on toerisme?
Yo Turkish goverment…… i think you made a huge mistake now! The world is getting disquested with what you are doing, they are watching you!!!!!!!
Do you really think that you can do this and nobody cares?
Quess what we DO CARE!
If you do not stop, sooner or later you will end up the same way as these poor animals are. Broken and on the street!
a stray human!!!!
Hi Joelle – I have expanded and added a bit to your letter and emailed it!
Keep going – We WILL stop this, but must work together!!!!!
Dear Mr Huseyin Erer,
I want to tell you how horrified and disgusted I am to know what happens to stray animals in Turkey. The pictures, the videos, all I read about it has disgusted me so much that I’ll never go to Turkey.
25 families I know (that means almost 50 people in all) will NEVER travel to your country until this stops.
Maybe your purpose is to clean the sight for tourists and get rid of the stray dogs, but in fact it’s the contrary, these cruel treatments and corpses seen create a dirty image of sadness and cruelty.
On October the 4th, lots of countries have organised a rally for the Wolrd Animal Day. We’ll ask justice for these animals and boycott any travel to Turkey if this situation goes on. This type of animal cruelty is against your laws – HOW CAN YOU LET THIS GO ON – ESPECIALLY AS THER IS A HUMANE ALTERNATIVE!!!!???
Why not become the first Mayor in Turkey to allow the spay and neuter program to work – you will be applauded and supported fully for this – by thousands of people!
The world is watching Turkey now, as it is watching all the countries that don’t understand that the way we treat animals equals the way we treat humans. Who would like to visit a country where even puppies are slaughtered that way?
Hundreds if not thousands of people will attend a rally’s all over the world on October the 4th and make sure everybody knows what happened in Beykoz and all of Turkey.
We will not rest – will will ask for justice until it is given!
The more I hear about Turkey the more I am conviced that that is a place I would definitly not go, unless it was to be sick by the disgusting attitudes that the government (and not only) have towards animals. ANIMAL RIGHTS exist, BECAUSE THEY ARE LIVING BEINGS too, and therefore they deserve to be treated with respect, they should have our protection. People that treat animals this way deserve no less than the same treatment. They are murderers.
Hundreds if not thousands of people will attend a rally’s all over the world on October 4th and
make sure everybody knows what happened in Beykoz and all of Turkey.
ı want the justice for the animals.Turkey govertment must do something all these animals and must give hefty fines about the people who responsible for these guilties.
Firstly I must say I am totally against animal cruelty, but I am saddened that you group the WHOLE of Turkey as being cruel to animals.
İ live in a town where the street dogs are well cared for by restauranters and the local people, the local council has allocated monies to one of the local vets to pay for neutering and castration of street cats and dogs, another vet gives free medical assistance to injured street cats and dogs and tries to re home them, İ have 2 in my home and 1 that lives in the garden, we also have an animal sanctuary where the street dogs and cats are taken and again given medical help and cared for indefinitely.
We also have a group of people that share their homes and give their free time to help in whatever way they can to look after the street animals.
The only problem we have is the one of tourists putting street dogs collars on because they think this will save them from harm, when in fact it does the opposite, dogs with collars are not given the chance to be relocated in the sanctuary or taken for neutering or castration by the authorities as they assume they are someones dog.
As Bev has said on August 28, 2008 at 12:06 pm, you have already lost my tourism – I am due to go on holiday in a couple of weeks and had originally considered Turkey as a holiday destination….that is until I heard about what goes on there with regards to the way you treat your animals. I am shocked, appalled, sickened and disgusted by it, and cannot comrehend why anyone would be so cruel and nasty to any living thing, it’s despicable and criminal and people should be severly punished for such inhumane sick behaviour.
I have also informed others and have put them off going to Turkey in the future – I wil not put money in to such a sick place and would rather visit somewhere else – after all there’s enough other placesin the world to go visit – places who are not so cruel and barbaric.
I fully support the rallies around the world on 4th October and will attend the London Rally.
We need so much more loving education around the world for animal rights.
Change takes time, but every seed of education and awarness grows change.
I will continue to committ much of my life to plant seeds of change for animals.
Melita Morgan
Actress and Patron of Cornwalls Voice for Animals