Parliament on Monday approved the first five clauses of a draft animal protection law that has been extensively amended after sparking a fierce debate over the fate of stray dogs.
Critics of the bill have claimed it seeks to indiscriminately cull the canine population, while proponents argue its necessity amid rising fatal attacks by aggressive dogs, especially on children and the elderly.
Colloquially known as the "stray animals bill," the 17-article proposal by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) included an article calling to euthanize dogs that are in pain, terminally ill, posing a public health risk or too aggressive to be controlled. The term was removed in the final draft of the bill.
The clause adopted on Monday states that dogs will be put down if they "present a danger to the life or health of people and animals, display uncontrollable negative behavior, have a contagious or incurable disease or whose adoption is forbidden."
Another amendment is a change in the definition of animal shelters since the “catch-neuter-release” method was removed from the original animal protection law. The bill now defines an animal shelter as a “facility set up with the ministry’s authorization to house and rehabilitate animals until they are adopted.”
Local administrations, in cooperation with volunteer organizations, will establish shelters to facilitate the care and treatment of stray animals until they are adopted.
The bill also bans abandoning stray animals anywhere outside a shelter or releasing a dog from a shelter, aiming to ensure that local administrations completely fulfill their duties as stipulated by this law.
The rest of the bill is being debated and expected to be adopted in the next few days.
The government says the euthanasia clause is needed to prevent dog attacks and the spread of rabies.
It says the other homeless dogs should be captured en masse, placed in animal shelters and put up for adoption.
The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is leading efforts to block the bill, which was recently approved by Parliament’s subcommittee.
CHP lawmakers’ attitude toward families of dog attack victims during the earlier debate at Parliament and controversial demonstrations by a group calling themselves "animal rights activists" at Parliament drew the ire of the government.
Parliament is closed to visitors during the debate on amendments and other bills this week.
AK Party Chairperson and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defended the bill while lashing out at the opposition for exploiting the issue, saying the bill helps Türkiye keep streets safer for people amid growing dog attacks.
