15.06.2026 15:10
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, speaking about stray dogs, one of Turkey's unresolved issues, said, "I will have all stray dogs collected in shelters by the beginning of the year."
The Ministry of Interior continues to take radical steps regarding the stray dog issue, which has long been on Turkey's agenda. Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi, who draws attention with his work on the subject, held a critical meeting with the Safe Streets and Right to Life Protection Association (GÜSODER) delegation.
REQUESTED TIME UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
During the meeting, Minister Çiftçi shared the latest status of operations carried out for homeless street animals, stating that a very significant 89% of stray dogs on the streets have already been collected and brought under control. Emphasizing that no concessions will be made on this issue, Çiftçi set a clear goal, saying, "I will have all stray dogs collected in shelters by the beginning of the year."
"CHP MUNICIPALITIES ARE RESISTING"
Minister Çiftçi harshly criticized the attitude of some local administrations in the ongoing collection efforts. Stating that especially some CHP metropolitan and provincial municipalities are dragging their feet in implementing the existing law and collecting dogs, Çiftçi noted that these municipalities are effectively "resisting" and acting with a "careless" attitude.
NO STEP BACK: SHELTERS ARE THE DEFINITIVE SOLUTION
Stating that the Ministry approaches this sensitive issue by considering the balance of "compassion, peace, and safety," Çiftçi emphasized that taking a step back is out of the question given public health, traffic accidents, and infectious disease risks, and stressed that the only definitive solution is shelters.
"ERZURUM MODEL" TO BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS ALL TURKEY
Minister Çiftçi announced that the stray dog policy he successfully implemented during his previous tenure as the Governor of Erzurum will be expanded across all of Turkey. Within the scope of this system, called the "Erzurum Model", shelter capacities in cities will be rapidly increased, and it will be made mandatory that the legal shares in municipal budgets are used solely for street animals, without being diverted to another area.