For a brief moment at the beginning of the year, a street cat named “Eros” in Türkiye was the talk of the town. After being tragically killed by a man in an elevator, her death was captured on camera and sparked outrage. The man was sentenced to one year and three months for intentionally killing an animal, but this sentence was later reduced to three months due to good behavior. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even intervened, calling for a longer sentence of two and a half years in prison.
Street cats and dogs are an integral part of the metropolis on the Bosporus, alongside tea parlors and simit sellers. These stray animals have been a common sight in the city for years, with many cultural references to them in books and literature. However, despite Erdogan’s support for justice for “Eros,” there are now concerns about the fate of stray dogs. In recent years, Erdogan has proposed euthanizing them due to safety and health concerns.
The government plans to capture the stray animals and bring them to shelters for sterilization and chipping. If no owner is found within 30 days, the dogs are to be euthanized. However, animal welfare activists and veterinarians warn that this plan is not feasible due to the lack of capacity to accommodate and sterilize all the dogs. This move has sparked a debate reflecting a cultural conflict over the treatment of animals, particularly dogs, in Turkish society.
President Erdogan’s past remarks on street dogs have further fueled this cultural divide. He accused owners of elitism, which has led some people to view him as anti-stray dog advocate. His opponents like Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have shown support for stray dogs, adding more weightage into this issue. Thousands have protested against the impending law warning of a potential animal massacre in Turkey’s history. The debate also touches on religious beliefs as dogs are seen as unclean in traditional Islam creating complex cultural political landscape surrounding treatment of stray animals in Turkey.
Overall, while “Eros” may no longer be physically present in Türkiye, her tragic death continues to spark ongoing debates about animal welfare and rights in Turkish society today
