07/06/2026
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Unfortunately, this is the current state of many standard municipal animal shelters in Turkey. These images come from just one of the facilities we visited with HAYTAP.
For now, we are not disclosing the name of this particular facility, because this is not an isolated case. Following recent legislative changes and a wave of organized digital hate campaigns, hundreds of facilities across the country have effectively been transformed into detention camps for animals.
Governors’ offices are pressuring municipalities to collect stray animals, while many municipalities seem to believe that simply removing animals from the streets is enough to fulfill their responsibilities. Yet behind those walls, animals are suffering from hunger, thirst, overcrowding, and inadequate care. In some facilities, conditions are so severe that animals injure or even kill one another, while these realities are largely ignored.
Many permanently employed veterinarians have been appointed to these positions through political connections or personal networks rather than merit. A significant number lack adequate knowledge of proper spay and neuter procedures, while others who do have the knowledge are unwilling to make the effort or are unfamiliar with modern, efficient sterilization techniques. Whether they perform surgeries or not, they receive the same salary. For many, the only goal is to secure a desk job or wait until retirement.
