A man who forced a donkey to eat a cigarette has been fined the equivalent of four minimum wages, 173,876 TL under the Animal Welfare Law.
Director of Taskent Nature Park, Kemal Basat, shared the update regarding the incident on social media, stating:
“Yesterday, I mentioned that the stray donkeys in Karpaz are not without guardians…We were all shocked by the video of a person attempting to light a cigarette in a donkey’s mouth, eventually causing the animal to eat it. As soon as the video surfaced on social media, we, at Taskent Nature Park, immediately filed a complaint at the Karpaz Police Station and informed both the Veterinary Department and the Environmental Protection Department.
The police acted swiftly following our complaint. The individual responsible was identified, summoned to the station, and fined 173,876 TL by the Veterinary Department under the Animal Welfare Law.”
Police Statement Confirms Action Taken
The İskele Police Department also issued a statement on the matter. It confirmed that, following the circulation of the video showing a person giving a cigarette to a wild donkey from a vehicle in Dipkarpaz, an investigation was promptly launched.
Police identified the suspect during their inquiry and coordinated with the Veterinary Department, which issued the significant administrative fine for violating animal welfare regulations.
