The next stop for Floortje and Jasper on their way to Nepal is Turkey, where a new animal welfare law has recently been introduced. They do this in a modern all-terrain vehicle, but for years it has been normal in Turkey to travel by camel: an animal that has played an important role in Turkish society for thousands of years. They are not only used as a means of transport, but also as beasts of burden and food. They are even used for wars, but that time is over. Today they are mainly used for entertainment, for example for tourist rides. But also for a completely different form of entertainment: camel wrestling, an age-old tradition that is still popular in southern Turkey – much to the surprise of Floortje and Jasper.
Floortje and Jasper also have a special meeting with the successful businessman Mert Akkök, who has been running a company for years that organizes large medical conferences. Yet almost like his Instagram posts, they are not about his work, but about what his heart really is: with the many animals he has collected around him in recent years that have been left to their fate by others.
A few years ago, Mert exchanged his home in Istanbul for a house in the province, in order to focus entirely on taking care of animals. Unfortunately, Mert can only take care of a limited number of animals at home, so he regularly takes a car full of dog food to a nearby forest. That’s where people come from far and wide to dump dogs they no longer want to care for. “They see that we do this and therefore feel less guilty,” explains Mert. “They know they won’t die because we feed them. (…) I do what I can. I try to protect as many animals as possible. And make them happy. I hope I can be an example.”
Floor goes along can be seen every Thursday at 8.30 pm at BNNVARA on NPO 1. Watch this Thursday’s episode here back.
