On PETA's behalf
Posted at 6:22 AM (PDT) on Friday, July 9, 2004

GILLIAN ANDERSON URGES STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF TURKEY'S LANDMARK ANIMAL-PROTECTION LAW

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2004
Contact: Michael McGraw 757-622-7382

On PETA's behalf, Gillian Anderson, star of The X-Files, has written to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdodan, thanking him for his government's passage of Turkey's first-ever comprehensive animal-protection law and urging him to do everything in his power "to ensure that it is fully enforced and its principles are carried out."

Anderson first wrote to then-Prime Minister Ecevit in 2001, asking for his support for the measure after learning that dogs, animals on farms, and other animals had no strong legal protections in Turkey and, as a result, were routinely beaten or killed with impunity. PETA helped garner support for the law, and some of its recommendations were included in the final version of the law, "Hayvanlary Koruma Kanunu."

July 8, 2004

His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey
Basbakanlik
Ankara, Turkey

Dear Prime Minister Erdogan:

It is with great pleasure that I write to thank you and all the honorable members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for passing the country's first-ever comprehensive animal-protection law.

When I first learned from my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that animals had no viable legal protection from cruelty and neglect in Turkey, I wrote an urgent plea for help to the previous government. Since then, I understand that PETA and other groups have been working to garner support for the measure from compassionate legislators, the European Commission, international media outlets, and Turkish citizens - and on behalf of concerned individuals everywhere, please accept my greatest appreciation for taking this first step toward protecting those who don't have a voice of their own.

This law is a great step in the right direction, and now that it is in place, I respectfully ask that you do everything in your power to ensure that it is fully enforced and its principles are carried out. Doing so will help reduce suffering for farmed animals and keep the country's shelters from overcrowding and poor conditions through an effective spay, neuter, and release program. I'll never forget one tragic scene, originally shown on Turkish television, in which a stray dog was kicked, dragged, thrown into a garbage truck, and compacted while still fully conscious. If enforced, this law should help prevent such tragedies.

Turkey is a country famous for its friendly culture and rich history. I hope that it will now be equally well known for its compassion. If "Hayvanlary Koruma Kanunu" is strictly enforced, the world, including the European Union, will have no choice but to take notice.

Thank you so much for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions, I can be reached through Cem Akin, PETA's liaison on this issue, at 757-622-7382, extension 8013, via fax at 757-628-0784, or via e-mail at CemA@peta.org.

Sincerely,

Gillian Anderson

cc: Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President of the Republic of Turkey
Members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

For more information please visit peta.org/feat/gillian/.