Following the incident that caused an uproar, the municipality issued a statement: They have been suspended.

At the Street Animals Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Education Center belonging to Gebze Municipality, cats and dogs were allegedly placed in bags and thrown into a garbage container after being killed. In the footage, some dogs that were bagged and had their mouths tied were seen to be alive. It was reported that the animals that were in a state of shock had medicine tubes next to them and needle marks on their bodies. The rapidly spreading images drew significant backlash. In a statement made by Gebze Municipality regarding the incident, it was noted that relevant officials had been suspended following the images of lifeless street animals.

RELEVANT PERSONNEL SUSPENDED, OUR APPLICATION LED TO THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE INITIATING AN INVESTIGATION

The municipality's written statement was as follows: "Immediate action has been taken regarding the images circulated in the press and social media about dead street animals. The lifeless street animal visuals that have come to the public's attention: 16 street dogs collected lifeless by our teams from our Balçık Shelter area and our streets, 3 dogs that lost their lives due to traffic accidents in Gebze, and 10 dogs that could not be saved due to their health issues. Additionally, of the cats reflected in the footage, 9 were collected lifeless from our streets for various reasons, 4 died in traffic accidents, and 2 died without responding to treatment. The records of these losses have been submitted to the relevant units. Approximately 10,000 street animals, consisting of cats and dogs, live in the Gebze region. The Gebze Municipality Veterinary Department works to ensure that street animals live healthily and do not pose a vital problem, based on routine activities and citizen notifications. The Shelter and Feeding Center we established in the Balçık area, away from the city center and highways, serves this purpose. In this area, 4,000 dogs are being cared for and sustained in cooperation with our municipality and animal lovers. The images related to dead street animals are deemed unacceptable by our institution. An investigation has been initiated regarding the matter. Those involved have been suspended until the investigation is completed. Additionally, upon the application of our Gebze Municipality, the Gebze Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has also initiated an investigation regarding the images.

"NEEDLES AND MEDICINE BOTTLES COLLECTED AS EVIDENCE, FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS CONDUCTED ON CONTAINERS"

In the investigation initiated regarding the incident, crime scene investigation teams conducted examinations at the location where the animals were and at the center. Following the allegation that the animals were killed with poisoned needles, the crime scene investigation teams collected the needle and medicine bottle found among the dead animals as evidence. Additionally, fingerprint analysis was conducted on the garbage containers in the area.

DRONE FOOTAGE EMERGED

Footage captured by a drone showed moments when the facility staff removed the animals from where they were kept and took them to the veterinary section of the facility, and then placed them in garbage bags into the containers at the facility. The moments when animal lovers who arrived at the scene found the bags in the containers and reacted were also included in the footage.

RESPONSE FROM SEREN SERENGİL

Presenter and singer Seren Serengil, who came to the rehabilitation center, stated that the incident was a brutality and said:

"There are tiny puppies and kittens. This is a brutality. What can we feel? There are 2,000, 3,000 municipalities in Turkey; only 200 of these municipalities have shelters. I spoke with Kocaeli Municipality, and they said, 'Ms. Seren, we have stopped sterilization because the quota is full. We can no longer take in dogs. Because we cannot take them in, we cannot sterilize them either.' They are killing them because they cannot do it. That's the math. Since all the dogs in Turkey cannot fit into 200 shelters, sterilization has also been stopped; what they are doing is not working. Not only is it not working, but which of these animals has rabies, and which has attacked humans? There are tiny kittens and tiny puppies."

"AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY"

Meanwhile, the Kocaeli Governorship made a statement regarding the discovery of 30 dogs, 14 cats, and 1 crow dead in garbage bags. In the statement, it was expressed that a judicial and administrative investigation has been initiated regarding the incident, stating, "All kinds of research and investigation are being carried out by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and the Nature Conservation and National Parks Kocaeli Branch regarding the images from the Gebze Municipality Street Animals Treatment Rehabilitation and Education Center, and a judicial and administrative investigation has been immediately initiated."