ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s interior minister on Sunday pledged to fully apply a law to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets in the wake of the death of a 2-year-old girl.
The legislation — labeled the “massacre law” by animal welfare groups — was passed by parliament last summer but has been only partially implemented, if at all, by municipal authorities.
“Either they will do this job or I will use whatever authority the law gives me to the fullest,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a video message posted on social media.
Rana El Selci died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Konya, central Turkey, on Friday. Her death sparked fresh outcry about the 4 million stray dogs that the government estimates roam Turkey’s streets and rural areas.
A criminal investigation was launched following her death as municipal workers began rounding up dogs in Konya. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that the government was “taking determined steps to ensure the implementation of the law.”
Animal lovers fear the legislation will lead to dogs being killed or ending up in neglected, overcrowded shelters. When the law was passed, the main opposition party pledged that its municipalities would not implement the round-up of strays.
Demonstrations in cities across Turkey, meanwhile, saw thousands call for the scrapping of an article that would allow some animals to be euthanized. There were also protests across Europe, as people warned the law could dissuade tourists from visiting Turkey.
Some critics have blamed the growth in the stray canine population on a failure to implement previous regulations, which required stray dogs to be caught, neutered or spayed and returned to where they were found. Others argue the law will be used to target the opposition, which made huge gains in last year’s local elections. The legislation includes penalties for mayors who fail to carry out its provisions.
Last year’s legislation requires municipalities to collect stray dogs and house them in shelters to be vaccinated, neutered or spayed before making them available for adoption. Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a health risk to humans will be euthanized.