08.03.2025 08:30
A 2-year-old child lost their life due to an attack by dogs in the Karatay district of Konya. The child's lifeless body was taken to the Konya Forensic Medicine Institution for an autopsy, while Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca stated, "As a city, we will never stop until we completely resolve this issue with a united stance." Following the incident, citizens took to the streets, expressing their reaction with their vehicles.
A 2-year-old girl named Rana El Selci, a Syrian national living on Zübeyir Street in Başak Neighborhood of Karatay district, came to break her fast with her family at a relative's house. While the children were playing in the street before the iftar time, Rana El Selci separated from the other children.
CITIZENS FOUND HER IN A POOL OF BLOOD
After a while, the child was attacked by about 10 dogs. The child was found motionless in a vacant lot, covered in blood, by nearby citizens, and health and police teams were dispatched to the scene upon notification. The health teams determined that the child had lost her life, and the family was informed of the situation.
CITIZENS TOOK TO THE STREETS
After the incident, citizens took to the streets and reacted with their vehicles.
STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE: MULTIFACETED INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
In a statement made from the official X account of the Konya Governor's Office, it was stated, "On March 7, 2025, around 17:40, our child R.E.S., who was severely injured in an attack by stray dogs in Başak Neighborhood of our Karatay district, has passed away despite all interventions made at the hospital. This tragic event, which occurred during a period of intense efforts to gather stray dogs into animal care facilities in our province, has deeply saddened us all. We pray for the soul of our child R.E.S. and wish patience to his family and relatives. A multifaceted investigation into the incident is ongoing."
MAYOR: WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED
Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca made a statement regarding the death of the baby who lost her life in the attack by a stray dog. Kılca stated in a post on social media platform X that they were deeply saddened by the incident that occurred last night.
Due to the sensitivity of the issue, Kılca mentioned that they have been mobilizing for a long time to carry out collection efforts, stating, "Despite all attempts to obstruct us and attacks on our workers, we are collecting day and night. We established our collection areas from the very beginning in accordance with the law that came into effect in August 2024. I want all our citizens to especially know that we are implementing the most intensive work plan possible to make our streets safe."
Kılca reported that some areas have quite large lands and that they are conducting more sensitive and planned collection efforts in these areas, stating, "While we are in a period where we have significantly reduced the stray dog problem in our region, we are deeply saddened by the occurrence of this painful incident that has broken our hearts."
"WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED"
Emphasizing that nothing is more important than human life, Kılca stated:
"I want those who use so-called animal welfare at the expense of public health at every opportunity and those who have caused the problem to grow until today by putting human life second to know this; as a city, we will never stop until we completely solve the problem with a united stance. We continue our collection efforts without slowing down. We are working with all our strength in the field and will continue to do so. I pray for the soul of our lost child. May God grant patience to his family. May our heads be held high."