04.04.2026 11:30
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül instructed the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and 39 district municipalities to collect all street dogs by the end of May. Governor Gül stated that otherwise, legal action would be taken.
The Istanbul Governorship sent a directive to municipalities as a threat against street dogs. The directive signed by Governor Davut Gül was sent to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and 39 district municipalities.
The letter sent to the municipalities stated, "In some areas of our province, dogs roaming in packs pose a threat to the safety of our citizens and their property, and there have been incidents reported in the national press where our citizens have been injured due to attacks by stray dogs."
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST MUNICIPALITIES THAT DO NOT COLLECT
The letter claimed that "it has been observed that the activities for collecting the dogs are progressing slowly, and despite the allocation of land for the establishment of new natural habitats to municipalities that are reaching their shelter capacity, construction activities have not yet begun."
It included the following statements: "It is requested that the activities related to the processes under the responsibility of local governments be expedited, and that the stray dog population in your districts be brought under control by the end of May, and that criminal complaints be filed with the Public Prosecutor's Offices regarding local governments that neglect their duties, so that legal proceedings can be initiated."