Horse Carriage Ban and Covid-19 Trials: What will Happen to Horses of Princes' Islands?

Photos: Nadire Mater / bianet

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Will 50 horses in the Islands be taken to Ankara for producing antiserum against Covid-19? Are the horses that Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli said would be used for antiserum production the horses in the Islands? How will the free ownership of the horses be? How will horses living in partially nylon tents withstand summer heat? Do horses have vets?

Launching a campaign for the horses, the Horses of the Islands Platform asked these questions. We directed these questions to local and central government authorities and doctors' organizations. İstanbul Governor's Office did not respond to our persistent phone calls.

Horses are widely used for serum production in the world because of easier care, having a more effective immune system and producing more plasmas, Prof. Tahsin Yeşildere said in an article on bianet. He noted that animals that would be used in serum production should not have pathogens that could be transmitted to humans, such as glanders, bornavirus, Hendra virus, influenza A virus and horse encephalitis virus.

Municipality: They won't be used for serums

Tonguç Çoban, an advisor at the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, said that the horses' use in serum production was out of the question. "Such a thing can't be done without our knowledge. There has been no such request. We wouldn't approve that anyway."

After a decision to ban horse carriages in the Islands, the municipality bought 1,200 horses, he said. "There is regular veterinary control. About 50 grooms are doing horseshoes and other maintenance work. They take horses for a walk; areas that horses can roam freely have been set up. There is no limit to saying "take good care". There is always better, we are also aware of this."

Horse carriage was the primary means of transport in the Islands, where motor vehicles are banned. In January, İstanbul's municipal council decided to replace horse carriages with electric vehicles.

"If we rehomed them, we would like them to go to places where they wouldn't be tormented and subjected to cruelty. The bad conditions of the horse carriage system will not be restored, we know that.

"In rehoming, compliance with the basic standards will be sought. We have not rehomed any horses yet. There is no decision in the municipality's strategic plan that 1,200 horses will be permanently looked after."

"Some animal rights activists want horses not to be used in any way, but to live freely. It is a thought that we would also like individually. But we have a public responsibility; we are looking for a solution within the framework of the legislation."

Agriculture Directorate: No horses left the Islands

"Even if a single horse was taken out of the Islands, that would be within our knowledge," an official from Islands District Agriculture Directorate told bianet.

"It is very normal that animal right advocates thinking about horses in the Islands after Mr. Ekrem Pakdemirli's statements that 'horses will be used in serum studies.' But this statement is not about the horses here," he said.

Turkish Medical Association: We don't have any information

Dr. Melahat Cengiz from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) board confirmed that there are ongoing antibody studies in Turkey but noted that they don't have any information whether horses are being used or not.

"The Ministry of Health has announced that it will try this on 150,000 people. We do not know whether horses are used or not," she said.

Mayor of Islands: Electric vehicles will be introduced in June

Erdem Gül, the Mayor of Islands (Adalar) district, told bianet that all the horses that were bought by the Metropolitan Municipality stayed in the islands.

"A place has been set up for them. Grooms have come. I also visit them," he said.

Gül also refuted the claims that some horses were killed without having glanders. "There are reports. They were not used in serum studies either. Because no horses were taken out of the Islands. There is a lot of speculation about the horses of the Islands."

More than 80 horses were killed in December 2019 after a glanders outbreak in the islands, which led to the temporary suspension of horse carriages.

"We organized a charette. All parties of the matter, the public officials, the people living in the Islands, animal rights advocates, the Metropolitan Municipality, everyone participated. As a result, there was a tendency towards the removal of horse carriages. Meanwhile, it was understood with the Islands District Animal Health Municipal Police Commission reports that horses had glanders disease.

"For this reason, transportation with horse carriages had been suspended for three months. When this happened, two things emerged: the health of the animals and the economic conditions of the horse carriage owners. How will these people survive? The Municipal Council took steps and horses were purchased. Four thousand lira per horse was paid. In addition, 300 thousand lira was paid to each horse carriage owner."

As for the transport in the Islands, Gül said that preparations were going on and they would introduce electric vehicles in early June.

What happened to the horses of İzmir?

The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality had bought 32 horses when it banned horse carriages and kept them in Sasalı Natural Life Park.

Eylem Arslan from the Park confirmed to bianet that they sent the horses to Ankara University Department of Veterinary. On the reports that the horses were being used for serum production, she said they did not have information on that.

Demands of animal rights defenders

In its campaign, the Horses of the Islands Platform listed the following demands:

• Horses should be released to freely roam in the forest.
• İstanbul Governor's Office should arrange a place for stables for the horses to live. Old stables shouldn't be demolished but renewed. Horses shouldn't be left without a home.
• Archeological surface surveys should be conducted in stables on Burgazada and Heybeliada.
• Everyone who wants to adopt a horse should be able to look after it in the Islands.
• Horses of the Islands shouldn't be serum material like the horses of İzmir!

Also, 63 animal rights organizations released a declaration, reminding the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality of their "responsibilities and duties." (EMK/VK)