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İYİ Party MP among those fined 650,000 TL for illegal goat hunting in eastern Turkey

Authorities in eastern Turkey's Dersim province have fined suspects, including an opposition İYİ Party MP, 650,000 liras ($18,500) for illegally hunting protected mountain goats. The animals, considered sacred in Alevi belief, have been protected under a hunting ban since 2019.

Friday December 13 2024 11:42 am

Duvar English

Turkish authorities in eastern Turkey’s Dersim province on Dec. 13 fined a group for the illegal hunting of wild goats. Lawmaker Ünal Kahraman from the nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party was among those fined.

The gendarmerie and wildlife conservation teams in Dersim’s Pertek district acted on a tip about illegal hunting and spotted individuals engaged in illegal activity.

The suspects fled toward the neighboring Elazığ province when they saw the teams. After a persistent chase, the gendarmerie stopped the boat. İYİ Party MP Kahraman claimed he was a member of parliament and said they could not conduct a search. The gendarmerie then informed the prosecutor.

After obtaining a search warrant, authorities found a weapon suspected to have been used in the incident. Officials issued a 650,000 Turkish lira ($18,500) fine to those involved, including Kahraman. A report was filed, and teams continued investigations after locals reported another wild goat had been killed.

Meanwhile, Tunceli Governor Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu ordered increased measures to protect wildlife in the area. Two days earlier, authorities fined individuals 1.3 million liras ($37,000) for hunting a protected wild goat, an incident recorded by drone.

Residing in Dersim's Munzur Valley, mountain goats are considered to belong to Khidr, a person in local legends who possesses great mystic knowledge and is considered a prophet of sorts in the Alevi tradition.

Dersim locals have petitioned to ban the hunting of mountain goats, and succeeded in having the governor at the time, Tuncay Sonel sign off on a ban on all hunting in the area in 2019.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry periodically launches tenders to grant hunting licenses for a few individuals, often to public dismay.