The Interior Ministry has authorized legal action against three municipal mayors following investigations into alleged failures to address stray dog-related public safety risks.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi approved formal investigations into the mayors of Narman in the eastern Erzurum province and Köyceğiz in the southwestern Muğla province after separate incidents in which stray dogs attacked and injured children. The ministry also authorized a preliminary investigation into the mayor of Hilvan in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa over allegations that the municipality failed to establish a legally required animal shelter.
In Köyceğiz, an 11-year-old child was seriously injured in a stray dog attack, while 37 people have reportedly received medical treatment for dog attacks in the district over the past two years. In Narman, a 10-year-old boy, Murat Tutar, suffered multiple injuries after being attacked by stray dogs.
Investigators found that Köyceğiz Municipality’s animal shelter lacked sufficient capacity and operating permits, that efforts to collect stray animals were ineffective and that veterinary services were not being carried out in accordance with legal requirements.
In Narman, authorities concluded that the municipality had failed to collect stray animals within its jurisdiction for an extended period and that this negligence contributed to the attack. The municipality was also found to have failed to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.
Separately, in Hilvan, authorities launched a preliminary investigation into Mayor Serhan Paydaş after allegations that the municipality failed to establish an animal shelter as required under Türkiye’s Animal Protection Law, did not allocate the necessary funding and took no concrete steps toward constructing the facility.
The Interior Ministry said it would continue its efforts to safeguard public safety and ensure that public officials fulfill their legal responsibilities.
