Turkey's history of animal rights policies and their societal implications

This dissertation investigates the historical development of animal rights policies in Turkey, with a particular focus on the Early Republican era. It analyzes in a multidimensional manner how the legacy inherited from the Ottoman Empire influenced Republican policies and social perceptions. Covering the period from the late Ottoman era through the 1950s, the study comparatively examines state policies toward animals, societal responses, and civil initiatives. It demonstrates that the Ottoman notion of compassion—shaped by Islamic values, individual conscience, and philanthropy— underwent a transformation after the Tanzimat reforms, being redefined within the frameworks of urban aesthetics and public hygiene. During the Second Constitutional Period, this approach became more systematic, and especially stray animals were increasingly framed as the "undesirable elements" of urban life. Following the establishment of the Republic, animal-related regulations were shaped by the goals of urbanization, public health, and modernization, which laid the groundwork for the institutionalization of practices aimed at their compulsory elimination. Methodologically, the research is based on a qualitative paradigm. Archival documents, legal texts, municipal reports, and periodical sources were analyzed through thematic coding. By employing a comparative historical approach, the study identifies points of continuity and rupture between the Ottoman and Republican periods, while revealing the normative, cultural, and economic factors that influenced policy formation. In addition, to make visible the social dynamics, civil society initiatives, literary works, and visual vii materials of the period were examined. This demonstrates that animal policies were not confined to legal regulations but also permeated collective memory and cultural practices. The study further shows that in the new regime, the central motivation behind policies toward animals was not the recognition of individual rights, but rather the pursuit of urban order, hygiene, and developmental objectives. The Turkish Penal Code No. 765 did not acknowledge animals as independent rights-bearing subjects; instead, they were addressed within the framework of property relations, with the main concern being the protection of the owner's interests. The most striking example appears in Article 521, where interventions against animals were sanctioned only in cases of property rights violation. Thus, animal welfare was conceived not as a matter of public interest, but as an extension of individual property rights. Beyond the legal and administrative framework, the dissertation also explores the cultural and moral mechanisms of response that emerged. Satirical cartoons, literary texts, reactions from different social groups, and even street vigils involving children indicate that animals functioned not merely as managed beings, but as symbolic elements within collective memory. This highlights the ethical dilemmas produced by modernization and reveals the dynamics of cultural transformation in human–animal relations. In conclusion, the dissertation approaches the history of animal rights in Turkey as a multilayered field intersecting with legal, social, and cultural dimensions. By integrating archival documents, press materials, and local administrative sources, it seeks to fill a significant gap in the literature. The study argues that conceptualizing animals as political and cultural subjects offers an alternative to anthropocentric historiography, while also providing a historical reference point for the development of ethically grounded and participatory policies.