IZMIR, Turkey — Boji, the canine commuter who has captured the hearts of the public through videos and pictures as he navigates Istanbul’s public transportation system, has become the target of a defamation campaign pitting Istanbul’s opposition-run municipality against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
In Turkey’s polarized climate, everything from dead poets to domestic violence can be recruited for political conflict. The most recent controversy, however, was surprising even by Turkish standards: It's over dog poop.
