Animal Rights Activists Urge Banning of Camel Fights

The proposition to ban camel fighting in Turkey stirred a confrontation between animal rights activists and organizers of camel wrestling tournaments. 

İzmir Province Bar Association Animal Rights Commission members advocates launched a case for the ban of camel fighting, saying that it violated “ laws and animal rights”. 

“This is a culture. If they ban camel rights, all these camels will become sausage,” Muammer Kale from Federation of Camel Culture Camel Wrestling told Anatolia Agency. 

“Camels get beaten if they don’t fight” 

Turkey’s Animals Rights Federation (HAYTAP) Spokesperson Şule Baylan told bianet that camel wrestling was not culture. “It is just a fight that tortures animals and violates international treaties and law protecting animals,” she said. 

“Nomads use camels to carry goods. Male camels only wrestle when they are looking for a mate. Some people observed this and started an entertainment. They are forcing camels to wrestle against their their nature. This is totally unlawful. 

“They are teasing animals to wrestle. If they refuse to wrestle, they kick their feet with sticks. They also beat them until they spit blood from their mouth. 

Not culture, gambling mafia 

“This culture is neither in the Turkic or Islamic culture. Upon our request, Culture Ministry already removed these activities from its web pages related to ‘folk sports’. We also received a religious statement (fatwa) from the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). They said such activities are not appreciated in Islam.”

“Those who turn this into entertainment also do gambles secretly. We know that some people make money from dog or cock fights. There is a mafia here. We already received some threats as well."

Against laws

Baylan also added that these wrestles are even performed at municipal events and festivities even though they are illegal. 

“According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights which Turkey is a part of, no animal can be used or demonstrated as a part of entertainment. 

“According to Turkish Penal Code 5199, similar restrictions apply. Both these laws are obvious. However, municipalities organize these events instead protecting animals,” she said.  

“Camels to nomads, paysants”

Responding to the allegations that unused camel could be killed to make sausage, Balyan said the following: 

“They already sell camels that refuse to wrestle. They can instead donate these camels to nomads or payments. They don’t necessarily have to send them for sausage makers."

Tradition allegedly dates back to Turkic Tribes 

Camel wrestling [deve güreşi] is a sport in which two male Tülu camels wrestle, typically in response to a female camel in heat being led before them. It is most common in the Aegean region of Turkey, but is also practiced in other parts of the Middle East and South Asia.

Camel fighting [allegedly] originated among ancient Turkic tribes over 2,400 years ago. Camels also wrestle in the wild, so the practice occurred before it was first organized by nomads. 

In the 1920s the Turkish National Aviation league has held Camel fights as fundraisers in order to purchase planes for the Government of Turkey. The government of Turkey began discouraging the practice in the 1920s, however, characterizing it as too backwards of a practice. 

In the 1980s the new government of Turkey began encouraging the competitions as part of Turkey's historic culture. (source: wikipedia)

* Photo credit: HAYTAP

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.