Activists warn of tourism boycott as Turkey pushes through controversial stray dog bill
A government-led parliamentary committee this week approved a bill that could result in the mass culling of millions of street dogs, and fury at the legislation has spread beyond Turkey’s borders.
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The outcry over a proposed law that could potentially lead to the mass culling of stray cats and dogs has spread beyond Turkey’s borders with a demonstration planned to be held on Sunday in central London’s Piccadilly Circus. Dominic Dyer, a prominent British animal rights campaigner, will be speaking at the event that will kick off at 1 p.m. local time. The event is being organized by a group of Turkish animal rights campaigners living in the UK and is aimed at drawing attention to the plight of Turkish street animals.
Dyer warned that Turkey’s tourism industry that was worth an estimated $64 billion in 2023 could be hurt as holiday-makers respond to growing calls to boycott the country. Many see well fed street dogs and cats at the resorts where they stay and it becomes part of their positive experience of Turkey, Dyer noted.
“As images of dogs being shot, of being poisoned and being clubbed to death and dumped in large numbers begin to emerge, tourists will vote with their feet,” Dyer told Al-Monitor. "If the law is adopted we could witness the biggest mass culling of stray dogs and cats in post-war Europe,” Dyer added.
