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In Response to an "Idiotic" Question!
One of the eight dead
dogs that I could see dead
by the side of the road
between my home & the
City of Istanbul.
I saw that one on the way
to town; he was running
scared in the middle
of the road.
Unfortunately I could not
stop; I was driving too
fast & traffic was
very heavy.
On the way back, this is
what I found.. that same dog
was totally
lost and disoriented.
But of course, in reply to the stupid question;
that proves nothing..
maybe the dog was
there for touristic
purposes?
The other one,
was alive, but again,
right in the middle
of the road... oh..
of course..
surely this one must
have been
suntanning ! Right?
Or better yet, perhaps he was directing traffic?
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THE EPIDEMIC OF IGNORANCE!
Pictures Are Worth Thousands
of Words! Look at Them!
Look at the Brutalized Animals
Look at Turkey's Landscape!
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A MIRROR IMAGE
If you have read in depth about the problems facing Greek animals head on, then you will understand the situation in Turkey, Serbia and a myriad other nations. The two nations of Greece and Turkey were locked together in battle, turmoil and servitude for 400 years. In 1821, Greece broke free of Turkish bondage.
Yet, this Christian nation and this Muslim nation have both emerged as one intersecting example of the uneducated orphans of humanity.
Both nations continue to gain notoriety as animal neglect and abuse escalates. Their landscapes are pock marked with the scars of indifference, neglect and abuse.
As well, Turkish and foreign advocates on the ground in Turkey express fear of oppressive government tactics and retribution for speaking out.
The general public's ignorance barrier, concerning not only the horrible consequences of companion animal overpopulation but the magnitude and depth of problems associated with trying to alleviate the suffering of these animals, is huge. As well, the accompanying ignorance concerning responsible, basic care giving is horrifying and must be corrected.
A mind set of animal protection consciousness to a breakthrough level of achievement of necessary improvements must be attained through creative public service marketing efforts in coordination with educational efforts in the schools and protective legal mandates that are implemented by officials and taken seriously by citizens.
Today's overwhelming and indisputable evidence linking animal cruelty with violence against all living beings makes these lessons of animal protection, not only a moral imperative, but perhaps the most important step we can take for the advancement of the protection of society!
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"The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group."
A Tip for Turkey
In 2006, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality opened a tender for the neutering and releasing of 5500 abandoned dogs in Istanbul. The conditions for entering the tender were tweaked in such a way as to ensure that no animal protection organization could ever apply. The tender was given to the least bidder, Biosav AS which is an insecticide producing firm and Anadolu Ilac Gida Ltd.Sti. (AIG) started to work as a sub-contractor of this firm.
Anadolu Ilac Gida, working in cooperation with Arif Eker, the Head of the Istanbul Municipality Veterinary Department, has turned out to be a butcher operation, solely concerned about the short term profit, piling up ovaries and testicles, operating in abhorrent conditions, neglecting to feed the animals under their care, failing to meet even the basic standards of human decency and finally, releasing the lost and disoriented animals in the forests, near Istanbul's crowded highways, to be killed violently by automotive traffic.
Recent months have seen hundreds of dogs dying of suffocation in vans with no ventilation, scores of dogs never making it off the surgery tables, sick and injured animals being sterilized, dropped unceremoniously by the side of the road, and animals being starved to death in Anadolu Ilac "recovery kennels".
This repugnant situation in Istanbul and other municipalities in Turkey should be under the scrutiny of major animal welfare organizations with the expertise and financial assets to coordinate and execute change for the animals, the target victims of greed and inhumanity.
By hiring unskilled people, showing absolutely no respect for the welfare of animals, and continuing with this organized massacre, Ahmet Kocadere and Toper Buyuker, the two-person-gang that calls itself Anadolu Ilac, is bringing disrepute to Turkey, an otherwise wonderful country currently undergoing serious legal and structural reforms - part of a package designed to meet European Union standards.
Spay, Neuter and Return is the only humane and rational way of solving the abandoned dog problem but it requires adequate implementation. Practice has shown that it can not be implemented properly by a profit seeking firm which only concentrates on the number of ovaries and testicles it excises and has no concern for the well being of the animals. It can only be successfully and humanly implemented under the supervision and with the cooperation of animal protection organizations.
What Anadolu Ilac and Arif Eker are doing in Istanbul today, with the blessing of the municipality, is nothing short of genocide, and for this they will be brought to justice.
Mr. Arif Eker
Veterinarian, Istanbul Municipality.
Istanbul, Turkey
December 2, 30, 2006
Mr. Eker:
Upon the death of my father, my family's foundation allocated a substantial amount of funding for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of animals in chosen destinations around the world - especially Greece, my home for 15 years, while married. This suffering is sadly and invariably at the hands of man.
We have been barraged by phone calls, letters and e-mails regarding what has become an unacceptable and repelling situation with regard to the Istanbul Municipality's protocol for handling this all encompassing situation for the city's abandoned animal population. These complaints are from the citizens of Istanbul and from tourists as well.
In other words Mr. Eker, it appears from critics "on the ground" in Istanbul and from highly educated and urbane visitors, that your administration of a sensitive issue, an issue dealing with sentient beings, is one that is stirring highly negative repercussions for the global image of Turkey and it's " bottom line." You are highly criticized for your handling of what is becoming an alleged, outrageous, cruel and incompetent situation.
It is not difficult o encourage global travelers to redirect vacation plans to more compassionate venues and I understand that several large tour companies are most definitely encouraging travel to Italy instead of Turkey.
I would most certainly like to hear your view of the situation and learn of your plans to reconcile this apparent disaster.
I look forward to a telephone conversation or to your written response. My telephone numbers in Manhattan and at my country home on the Gulf Coast follow. I am presently in Manhattan.
Thank you for your anticipated response.
Marijo Gillis
Gillis Family Foundation
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"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."
"Siz yasamis oldugunuz icin bir canlinin dahi daha rahat nefes aldigini bilmek. Basarmis olmak budur."
Emerson
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