Click to read the article in Turkish
Dogs living in a park in the capital city of Ankara have been poisoned to death in the Neighborhood of Turgut Özal in Batıköy.
While the dead bodies of 13 dogs have been found across the city, it has been reported that seven dogs are also missing and six others are receiving medical treatment. Three people have been taken into custody as part of the investigation launched into the incident.
After the neighborhood residents raised their concerns about the incident on social media, it has caused backlash among several social media users.
Releasing a statement on its Twitter account, The Confederation for the Protection of Animals' Rights (Haykonfed) has stated,
"We are calling on the Governorship of Ankara, Ministry of Interior and all institutions to find the murderers who are seen in surveillance cameras to be distributing poisoned meat in a white vehicle in Batıkent.
"Several dogs are fighting for their lives. The dogs who have fainted are taken to the emergency services."
Making another statement later in the night, Haykonfed Chair Haydar Özkan has stated that they made their depositions and filed a criminal complaint as the Haykonfed team at around 2.40 a.m. today (April 9).
Yavaş: Municipal police, medical teams assigned
After several social media users have made a call to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the recently elected Metropolitan Mayor of Ankara Mansur Yavaş has posted the following tweet:
"The municipal police force and medical general office have been assigned to find and bring a legal action against those responsible for this atrocity."
Büyükşehir Belediyesi Zabıta ve Sağlık Daire Başkanlığı bu vahşetin sorumlularının ortaya çıkarılması ve yasal işlem yapılması için görevlendirilmiştir. https://t.co/tWXTIqvbXI
— Mansur Yavaş (@mansuryavas06) 9 Nisan 2019
Statement by Minister Pakdemirli
Making a statement regarding the incident, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli has stated,
"Crews of our Ministry's Directorate General for Environmental Protection and Natural Parks have been working with our Security forces and Municipality teams to find the ones responsible for this inhumane incident in Batıköy and bring a legal action against them." (AÖ/SD)
* Photograph: Twitter
