The loose dog proposal is causing great debate in Turkey

There are four million stray dogs in Turkey, according to estimates from the Turkish authorities.

The bill that is on the table means that sick animals and animals with “negative behaviour” are killed. In addition, the maximum fine for leaving dogs alone will be increased considerably to 60,000 lira, which corresponds to around NOK 20,000.

On Sunday, the Turkish National Assembly started the debate on the proposal. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Turkey is facing a problem that cannot be compared to any other civilized country and that the people want safe streets.

Large demonstrations

The politicians behind the proposal have pointed to an increase in cases of rabies among stray dogs.

But the proposal has caused great debate in Turkey, and animal rights groups have warned that the proposal will lead to a large-scale culling process. Rather, they want a mass sterilization of the dogs.

For weeks, protesters have shown their displeasure against the proposal, including inside the parliament building, which has led the authorities to temporarily close the building to visitors to avoid further demonstrations.

Risking prison

The Republican People’s Party, which is in power in, among other places, Istanbul and several other big cities, says that its mayors will not enforce such a law. The government, for its part, has warned that mayors who refuse to enforce the law could end up in prison.

The debate has also brought new attention to a measure in 1910 in the then Ottoman Empire, where tens of thousands of stray dogs were captured in Istanbul and sent to a deserted island in the Sea of ​​Marmara. The dogs ate each other, and most died of starvation.