Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has underscored the urgent need for clearer responsibility and comprehensive action to address the issue of stray animals in Turkey. He noted that under the current law, no specific party is accountable for managing the stray animal population.
Yumaklı highlighted that while approximately 260,000 dogs have been sterilized over the past five years, addressing the problem effectively would require sterilizing 70 percent of the stray dog population. He emphasized the importance of using technical data to inform solutions, amidst ongoing social media debates on the matter.
Sharing alarming statistics from the Health Ministry, Yumaklı reported a sharp increase in rabies risk contacts, including pets, from an average of 267,000 annually between 2018 and 2022 to 438,000 in 2023. Additionally, he pointed out the traffic hazards posed by stray animals, with Interior Ministry data revealing 55 deaths and 5,147 injuries from 3,534 traffic accidents involving animals over the past five years.
Minister Yumaklı welcomed “thoughtful discussions, opinions, and suggestions on this issue” and expressed confidence in the country’s ability to overcome the problem with realistic solutions proposed by experts and supported by citizens.
The current debate was sparked by a controversial measure proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which includes culling stray dogs not adopted within 30 days of capture. This proposal has faced significant backlash from the public and animal rights groups, who argue for more humane and sustainable solutions.
