Former French actress Brigitte Bardot despatched a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday (Tuesday), warning him {that a} draft legislation at the moment being studied concerning stray canine is ” a horrible menace” to those animals.
In a letter to Erdogan, a replica of which was obtained by Agence France-Presse, the previous film star, who heads an animal welfare basis, denounced a extremely controversial draft legislation meaning euthanasia of roughly 4 million stray canine in Turkey.
“Turkey has to date been an instance of compassion for stray cats and canine that may stay in concord with the folks,” wrote the actress, who goes by the abbreviation “BB,” that are the primary letters of her identify.
She mentioned, “Do not let Turkey change into a impartial nation and be criticized due to its indifference and cruelty to delicate people who find themselves our most loyal companions.”
The related parliamentary committee remains to be contemplating the draft legislation, which provoked robust protests and actions by animal rights defenders and parliamentary opponents, earlier than it’s introduced to representatives.
The draft legislation, drawn up by the ruling Justice and Growth Occasion, stipulates that giant numbers of canine should be seized, sterilised, and even euthanised. inside 30 days if they don’t seem to be accepted.
Brigitte Bardot emphasised that “killing or capturing will not be solely brutal measures, but additionally counterproductive and solely make the variety of stray canine and cats worse. “
President Erdogan famous on the finish of Might final 12 months that “Turkey has an issue with stray canine, an issue that doesn’t exist in any developed nation,” pointing to a rise in circumstances of rabies ( The World Well being Group thought-about the phenomenon in Turkey to have reached “excessive danger”.
A brand new demonstration was organized on Tuesday night time in Istanbul to protest this legislation.
