19.10.2026 12:40
The Council of State, following a lawsuit filed by the Nature Association, banned the catching and use of the red-backed shrike, which is used in catching sparrowhawks in the Eastern Black Sea region and is known locally as 'ğaço' or 'ciciyen'. Reacting to the decision, sparrowhawk hunters canceled the traditional Sparrowhawk Festival held every year. Yahya Terzi, President of the Federation of Sparrowhawk Hunters, invited animal lovers to come to the region and see how they care for the birds.
The Council of State has ruled that the red-backed shrike, used in hawking and known in the region as 'ğaço', cannot be used in hawk hunting.
The centuries-old cultural heritage of hawking in the Eastern Black Sea has been shaken by a precedent-setting court decision. As a result of a lawsuit filed by the Nature Association, the Council of State banned the capture and use of the red-backed shrike, which is used as a lure/caller in catching hawks and known locally as 'ğaço' or 'ciciyen'. Following the decision, hawkers in the region reacted strongly, and it was announced that the traditional Hawk Festival, held with enthusiasm every year, has been canceled.
Yahya Terzi, President of the Hawkers Federation, who reacted sharply to the decision, stated that the bond between local people and birds is misunderstood and invited members of the Nature Association, vegans, and animal lovers to come to the region and see this culture for themselves.
WHEN ĞAÇO DIES, WE DIE TOO
Emphasizing that the ğaço bird is not resident in the region and only passes through during migration season, Yahya Terzi, President of the Hawkers Federation, said: 'A complaint was filed with the Council of State by vegans and animal lovers. This ğaço, the ciceğen bird, is a migratory bird; it does not stay here. At most, it passes through, migrates, and leaves within a month. It passes through here. If it were here, as they said there would be a massacre, I agree with that. But it wouldn't happen like that either. Now, since this is a migratory bird, we catch one or two of them, and we look after it like our own eyes. We have to look after it because we will catch hawks with it. We have no chance of killing it. If we killed it, we would be dead; if we killed the hawk, we would be dead. That is, when ğaço dies, we die too; we cannot go to the tent. They do not know this,' he said.
LET THEM COME AND WITNESS THAT WE CARE FOR THEM LIKE OUR OWN CHILDREN
Rejecting allegations of mistreatment of birds, Terzi stated that hawkers protect these creatures as if they were their lives, and said: 'Actually, if those nature lovers, those animal lovers came and saw how we look after them, if they witnessed how we care for that ğaço bird, the ciceğen, and the hawk like our own children, like our own eyes, they would not complain about us. We could not understand this. They complained to the Council of State. They were more interested; we could not be. After that, the Council of State banned the ğaço bird, the ciceğen. At this point, in all likelihood, they also complained about the hawk. Actually, I invite those friends to Rize, Pazar, and the Black Sea Region. Let them come, let them film us and follow us regarding our hawks, let them live with us—a week, 10 days, whatever it takes—let them come and see our hawks. Let them see how we look after those ciceğens and ğaços. They will understand our feelings; then they will understand what devoted people we are,' he said.
WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE MOUNTAINS
Arguing that hawkers in the Black Sea mountains are also protectors of the forests, Terzi said: 'An elderly uncle of ours was fishing on the Galata Bridge; a girl went and threw the fish completely into the sea. Now what does that have to do with anything—neither cabbage nor diet nor pickles. Such a thing cannot happen. What they do makes no sense at all. This situation is no different from that. Then fires break out in the Aegean, fires break out everywhere. Why do they not break out in the Black Sea? Because there is a hawker, a guardian, at the top of every mountain there. We are guardians. We are the guardians of the mountains there. My request to the vegans is: come and see what kind of animal lovers we are. Come, see; then decide. Let them come and see. We have also canceled our traditional Hawk Festival, which we organize every year. Let us see what will happen,' he said.