Street cats face mass roundups in Türkiye, animal rights activists raise alarm

According to animal rights organizations, the animals are being collected in large numbers and either placed in shelters with poor sanitary conditions or relocated to underdeveloped areas, where many do not survive. Over the past year and a half, the number of stray cats has significantly increased, which is attributed to the rising cost of veterinary services and the departure of foreign residents facing residency issues, many of whom abandoned their pets.

The situation worsened after the adoption of a 2024 law aimed at controlling the stray dog population, which is now also being applied to cats. Once caught, the animals are sterilized and either released into impoverished areas or placed in overcrowded shelters where they often fall ill or die.

Amid growing public concern, the hashtag #SokakHayvanlarıSahipsizDeğil (Street animals are not ownerless) has gained traction on the platform X (formerly Twitter). Users are urging residents and local authorities to continue caring for stray animals by leaving out food and water or possible shelter.

“If dogs and cats live peacefully on a street, that street is reliable, that neighborhood is reliable, that city is reliable; if the opposite is true, neither that street, nor that neighborhood, nor that city is livable,” they note.

Earlier, Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has emphasized that the collection of stray animals in all provinces must begin immediately in accordance with the law. The ministry warned that municipalities failing to comply may face a fine of 71,965 Turkish liras (around $2,000) per stray animal found on the street.

Although the law allows local authorities until 2028 to expand shelter infrastructure, the obligation to remove animals from public areas took effect as soon as the law was implemented and cannot be postponed, officials stressed.

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakh Tazy is gaining international recognition as a national symbol of Kazakhstan.