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Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Didem Engin has submitted a parliamentary inquiry for animal rights violations to be investigated to seek solutions.
Stating that conseuqnece of ill-treatment against animals being limited to administrative penalty is not deterrent, Engin stressed that the Animal Protection Law should be changed in a way to prevent ill-treatment and be deterrent.
The inquiry drew attention to the lack of education and official data about ill-treatment against animals.
Noting that local administrations come to public agenda for their ill-treatments against animals, Engin expressed that animal shelter conditions are not proper for animals.
Struggle for animal rights in parliament since 2011
“Law Draft on Amendment in Animal Protection Law” on which all parties reached consensus was signed by then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was sent to the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office.
The draft was debated in public in 2012 and 2014. The draft has been pending since 2014.
CHP MP Umut Oran had submitted a draft for amendment to be made in Animal Protection Law but upon negative reactions by animal rights advocates, he revised the draft and submitted the revised version to parliament with İstanbul MP Melda Onur.
CHP İstanbul MP Gürsel Tekin had submitted a law draft for willful and reckless homicide of animals to be considered within the scope of Turkish Penal Code in August 2017. (ÇT/TK)