Sena Dolar

 

ISTANBUL - With the decision of the president, KOSGEB's support areas were expanded. The decision in question paves the way for zoo and horse racing. Hülya Yalçın, a lawyer from the Justice for Animals Association, pointed out that the animals will be isolated under the name of "Natural Life Park" and that the state will support it and said: "The decision is political disingenuity."

 

Within the scope of the "Presidential Decisions" published in the Official Gazette on April 20, a change was made on "determining sectoral and regional priorities for the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB)." In the amendment, "the operation of fishing and hunting sports fields, services of racehorse stables and racing garages, training of sports and recreational animals" were among the activities to be supported by KOSGEB. On one side, the "Animal Rights Protection Law", which Justice and Development Party (AKP) MPs say will come out and waiting at the commission, on the other hand, the KOSGEB decision, which supports violations of animal rights with the decision of President Tayyip Erdogan, reveals the policies in this field.

 

The "Law Proposal on Amending the Animal Protection Law No. 5199" was submitted to the assembly by the Environment Commission on March 11. The purpose of the proposal was "to prevent violations of animal rights to include all animals". Zoos were one of the issues that were not answered at the meeting held with the rights defenders in the Turkish Grand National Assembly of Turkey the same day. The answer to the Zoos is in new areas to be supported by KOSGEB.

 

Hülya Yalçın, a lawyer from the Justice for Animals Association, who made evaluations to our agency on the subject, stated that there were many ambiguous questions during the March 11 meeting and that the decision of KOSGEB was political disingenuity.

 

‘The decision is political disingenuity’

 

Hülya, who evaluated such a decision as "political disingenuity" after the meeting with animal rights defenders on March 11, said: "KOSGEB support was announced by the President's decision and we were very surprised. In addition, the fur tax for luxury consumption was also zeroed. Moreover, there is a terrible violation of rights there. With this decision, the work done for years and the March 11 meeting went to waste. KOSGEB incentive premiums promise support and assistance in newly opened zoos. However, in all the negotiations that have lasted for years, there was a consensus on its removal."

 

‘They are conducting a distraction tactic’

 

Underlining that the decision will lead to animal rights violations, Hülya said: "Animal rights violations have increased so much and it is unacceptable for the state to sign such a thing while we are looking for ways to stop them legally and socially. We gather and hold talks, they say, "We understood you, we will make a good law even from Europe" means that they lie. Years ago, thousands of people walked to Taksim for a proper law for animal rights. There's always been a distraction tactic ever since."

 

‘Being legal does not mean it is fair’

 

Hülya emphasized that KOSGEB supports should be canceled as soon as possible and said, "We expect these issues involving animal abuse to be excluded from the support and premium". Reacting to the article "Fishing, horse riding, preparation of racehorses", Hülya said: "Horse racing is a gamble involving the violation of animal rights by the state. But the state is legal because it makes a law on it. Just because it is legal does not mean it is fair. The state made definitions by making anyone seeking rights guilty and filled these definitions. We find the state's attitude towards animal rights sincere."

 

‘Natural life park is an old trap’

 

Pointing out that “natural life parks” are a product of zoos, Hülya said: "The name will not be a zoo, but the place will change, they will again fill the animals there. When you take the animals from where they live and leave them in a place surrounded by wires, you cannot call it natural life. To call it a natural life park instead of a zoo is an old trap. They said it was a natural habitat, a park, but the name does not matter. If you confine the animal somewhere and it does not live in an accordance with its nature, it does not matter if it is large. We want to destroy the cages, not enlarge them."