Turkey's top court upholds controversial law on culling of stray dogs
The main opposition party had sought the overturn of the legislation that was enacted last year, arguing that it violated animal rights and the right to life.
The Constitutional Court however, has ruled that the provisions are legally valid and for it to continue to be implemented.
Dozens of animal rights activists had gathered near the Constitutional Court to press the court to repeal the law, holding up posters reading 'cancel the blood-ridden law' and shouting anti-government slogans.
The government has estimated that some 4 million stray dogs roam Turkey's cities and countryside. While many of the dogs are harmless, the government moved to tighten legislation on stray animals, following incidents of dog attacks, including cases involving children.
The law requires municipalities to round up stray dogs and relocate them into shelters where they would be vaccinated, neutered and spayed before making them available for adoption. Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a health risk to humans would be euthanized.
Animal-lovers had strongly opposed the law, fearing it would lead to widespread culling or dogs ending up in disease-ridden and overcrowded shelters.
They raised concerns about how financially-strained municipalities would secure funding to construct the additional shelters. They fear that, instead of allocating resources to care for the stray dogs, some municipalities may resort to euthanizing them under the pretext of illness.
Many animal rights advocates have also claimed that many street animals were indiscriminately killed after the passage of the law.
The court ruling is likely to increase pressure on municipalities to enforce the law.
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It cannot afford to show weakness in standing up to too is dealing with a struggling never fully recovered from the pandemic and tourism - a pillar of its economy - has suffered from the absence of Chinese visitors staying away for fear of being kidnapped and forced to work in scam - as with Thailand - now there is the threat of punishing US tariffs impacting the economy both countries do have experienced politicians in Hun Sen and Thaksin who almost certainly can, when they are both ready, find a way out of will also have to see whether other members of Asean weigh in on this conflict and try to persuade both countries to was originally Asean's primary purpose - to avoid conflict among its members - and it will be a priority for some of the Asean states at the moment to help these two countries resolve the remains a mystery at this point though is why Hun Sen decided to burn this friendship and inflame this conflict. 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