Will the Turkish Government End the Cruelty of Animal Circuses and Dolphin Parks?

Banning of animal circuses and dolphin parks was first at Turkish government’s agenda in 2014. When amendment in animal protection law was on tap, the government announced that they would revolutionize animal rights. That revolution included also the closure of animal circuses and dolphin parks. The Government’s Commission on Environment completed their report on the draft law and sent it to the General Assembly of Turkish Parliament; however, that “revolution” did not come to Turkey yet.

4 April 2018

We, animal activists, are against animal circuses and animal theme parks in so many ways. We are against those facilities because they imprison animals, exploit them by systematic torture and treat them like a theatrical object. We cannot treat a creature as sensitive as a human being like this.

Do we have the right to give them pain, fear, stress and show them violence?

There is only one animal circus in Turkey

Many countries banned animal circuses and animal themed parks in accordance with society’s demands. What is the overall tendency in Turkey? Is it very hard to stop this cruelty when there is only one animal circus in Turkey?

Will the Government use the opportunity to ban those facilities this year?

We, as animal rights associations, handed over the petition signed by 500.000 people to the authorities from the Ministry of Forestry and Water Management. Our society wants those facilities to be banned. The Government may use the opportunity which they missed in 24th legislative year, and start a model practice for the whole world.