The killing fields of Beykoz!!!

Straddling the Bosphorus, its skyline studded with domes and minarets, İstanbul is one of the world’s great romantic cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it stands as Turkey’s cultural heart and in 2010, this most wonderful city will become Europe’s Capital of Culture, joining a long list of european wonders such as Florence, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid and Stockholm.
In recent years Istanbul has deservedly earn a new nickname.. IstanCOOL.
From his office in front of the Golden Horn the Mayor of Istanbul Greater Municipality, Kadir Topbas, oversees the daily life of this city of 14 million people… and the covert extermination of some of its less fortunate citizens, the city’s population of stray dogs.

We wont go into details about the dog-hunting parties, the exile of thousands of dogs to nearby islands and similar absurdly inhumane practices carried on unsuccessfully by Topbas predecessors. Instead we will focus on the current covert and coordinated campaign carried on on most of Istanbul’s municipalities (Sisli and Kadikoy with their progressive and forward thinking Mayors, stand as honorable exceptions).
Kadir Topbas, a theologist and architect by training that reinvented itself as a politician in 1977 and became Mayor of Istanbul in 2004, has made a life mission of turning this city into a truly european city. When travelling around Europe he has become fascinated by the order and the structure of the continents wonders and the cleanliness of its parks.. and Holland’s Tulips. He also became fascinated by the fact that there are no packs of emaciated dogs laying in front of London’s National Gallery, or Florence Ufizzi.
Whilst we applaud Topbas efforts to turn Istanbul into a European-looking city, lets face it, it is not going to happen. The charm and attractiveness of this city lies precisely in the fascinating mix of Eastern and Western cultures.

What to do with Istanbul’s stray dog population? Whilst reason, statistics and legality show that the one and only way to control the population of stray dogs is the correct implementation of a broad campaign of Neuter and Return, Mr. Topbas has given tacit approval to a short term radical solution. A solution that is not only illegal but absolutely inefficient and doomed to fail. Extermination.

For all its careful observation Mr. Topbas has missed one very important aspect of European life. Europe is in love with dogs. Whilst Istanbul spends untold amounts on international promotion and Public Relations campaigns most of this money goes to waste the moment news of  extermination campaigns hit the European newsstands and the images of dead lactating dogs surrounded by a dozen of starving puppies pop up in computer screens of a network of millions of animal lovers all across the Union.
The recent event of Beykoz have shown us the far reaching power of technology. Today Beykoz is a byword for cruelty and barbarism. The sight and sounds of Beykoz and the mere mention of its mayor, Muharrem Ergul bring a shiver down the spine of millions of turkish and european citizens and is dirtying the image of this wonderful city.

Yesterday, Turkey’s largest newspaper, Hurriyet, reported yet another dog massacre in the Beykoz municipality. There were pictures of dead dogs, cats and other farm animals killed by the ravaging effects of strychnine. 11 orphan puppies were desperately trying to suckle some drops of milk out of the dead mother body whilst village kids cried at their first experience of man-made death. Angry villagers cursed the mayor of Beykoz and his team and struggle to understand why their own leaders order this massacres? This is a village of animal lovers, they cherished and appreciated those dogs laying dead at their feet. Nearby a municipal official, in an amazing display of cynicism applauded the animal-loving initiatives of its revered Mayor, Muharrem Ergul.

How long will it take for Topbas to understand that this is not the way forward? How many subtle mentions in European meetings, how many campaigns, newspaper articles and overal public embarrassment will be necessary to make him see the light? How many court cases, how many demostrations, how many calls for boycott?

European culture is more than Tulips, Modern Art Museums and shopping Malls.

We hope one day Mr. Topbas will become the true architect  this city desperately needs.

A builder of life, an architect of life.