Izmir Metropolitan Municipality opened the Pako Stray Animals Social Life Campus, which will set an example for Turkey, in Bornova Gökdere. Speaking at the opening of the facility, named after journalist Bekir Coşkun's dog Pako, the President Tunç Soyer"We will fight until our last breath with this brutal order for our dear friends," he said.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality brought the facility in European standards for the care, treatment and adoption of stray animals to the city on World Veterinarians Day. Providing service with Işıkkent and Seyrek Temporary Dog shelters with a capacity of 700 dogs, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has put into service the Pako Stray Animals Social Life Campus, which will be a home for 500 dogs at the same time in Bornova Gökdere. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor attended the opening of the facility. Tunç Soyer and his wife Neptün Soyer, Bekir Coşkun's wife Andree Coşkun, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Özuslu, CHP Deputy Chairman Ali Öztunç, CHP Youth Branch President Gençosman Killik, CHP Youth Branch Vice President Uygar Elitoğ, CHP Deputies Özcan Purçu, Kani Beko , Ednan Arslan, Murat Minister, Mahir Polat, CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Deniz Yücel, Bornova Mayor Mustafa İduğ, Narlıdere Mayor Ali Engin, Konak Mayor Abdül Batur, HAYTAP İzmir Representative Esin Önder, İzmir Chamber of Veterinarians President Selim Özkan, Metropolitan Municipality bureaucrats and representatives of chambers, unions, unions, headmen and animal lovers attended. In addition, the little ones from Seferihisar Children's Municipality and Fairy Tale House visited the little friends at the facility.
Izmir became the city representing European values
Expressing that they received a proud news from Strasbourg in the past few days, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer“Since 1955, there is an award given by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In a competition among 46 countries, in which dozens of cities were nominated, İzmir was declared the city that best represents European values, leaving all of them behind, and received the grand prize. We were all very happy and proud to have won the European Prize. But now I would like to tell you about a feature of Izmir and Turkey that I think is superior to European values” and continued his speech as follows: “We are a people living on the streets with animals. We call them our best friend. Unfortunately, you cannot see our civilized stance in many European cities. Many western countries, which we consider to be more civilized, have completely eliminated stray animals with their culling laws years ago. However, civilization and murder are incompatible with each other. Despite all the deficiencies in our official law, I would like to happily state that the law of conscience regarding stray animals is much more developed in our country.”
“Democracy is not going to the polls every 5 years”
Emphasizing that democracy is one of the most important innovations of humanity, born on the Aegean coast, where İzmir is at the center, the President Tunç Soyer“It is a set of values based on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights. But the world has come to such a point that democracy's view of life has to gain a new perspective. That's why we introduced a new concept called cyclical culture at the World Culture Summit in Izmir in September 2021. With this concept, we have positioned culture as the mortar that holds life together. Circular culture defines another basis for all values that guide our lives. Like many things, it sets a new horizon for democracy. At the core of cyclical culture is harmony. This harmony consists of four components. Harmony with one another, harmony with our nature, harmony with our past and harmony with change. These four titles are also the definition of the new democracy that we are trying to spread from Izmir to the world. Because democracy is not going to the polls every five years. It is the art of living in harmony with every aspect and moment of life.”
The second award came from the European Union
The President stated that humanity is not a group that has superiority over other species. Tunç Soyer“We do not have a dominance over the species. Man co-exists with all living species in nature. The moment he thinks and practices the opposite, he creates consequences as severe as the climate crisis with his own hand. For this reason, harmony with our nature will be a must for the new democracy we have built on a cyclical culture. Since the day we took office, we have initiated many innovative projects in order to increase harmony with our nature in İzmir. As a result of these efforts, we received a second award from the European Union yesterday, and we were selected as one of the 100 leading cities in Europe in harmony with nature. Pako Stray Animals Life Campus, which I am proud to open today, is one of these projects.
“We are carrying out pioneering works in Turkey on behalf of dear friends”
Emphasizing that they will move forward together with non-governmental organizations working for dear friends on campus, as always, the President Tunç Soyer“We will experience harmony with each other and with our nature at the same time. Despite all the difficulties, we owe gratitude to each and every one of the activists who work to strengthen animal rights in Turkey. Without them, perhaps it would never have been possible for us to keep alive a part of our conscience that is doomed to atrophy, the conscience of nature. So I thank each and every one of them once again. Last month, we started the 'Hopeless Stray Dogs Rehabilitation Project' with the Izmir Chamber of Veterinarians, and we took a historic step for our dear friends with whom we share our city. With this partnership, our dear friends are marked with ear tags and microchips, and they are monitored instantly. 500 dogs are sterilized per month. All of these works are a first in Turkey. I wish with all my heart that this hopeful picture will spread throughout Turkey as soon as possible”.
We will fight for justice, for prosperity
Stating that the sense of justice in a society is measured by how it protects the weakest, not the strongest, President Soyer continued as follows: “If we are fair to our dear friends, we are also to each other. If we're not, we can violate each other's rights, too. For this reason, an understanding of democracy that includes nature is also the guarantee of a society in which all people are safe. Because nature has no lawyers, unions or professional organizations. Its only guarantee is our conscience, which we have to protect both for ourselves and for all other living things. As many of you know, Pako is the name of veteran journalist Bekir Coşkun's dog. Bekir Coşkun was a great writer who had the mouth, tongue and pen of our dear friends. Out of our loyalty to his struggle, we named this unique campus in Turkey after Pako. As Bekir Coşkun said in his article named 'Kurt', 'What will you do? Until the last forest is burned, the last piece of nature is destroyed, the last bird is gone, the last wolf is shot. This world is ours.' Here in Izmir we are doing exactly as he said and we will continue to do so. We will fight until our last breath with this brutal order for our dear friends. We will fight for women who experience male violence. We will fight for justice, for prosperity. We will grow our fight not with hatred and anger, but with friendship and brotherhood. We will change this order, which is always on the side of the strong, not with a rifle, but with our mind, conscience and democracy. Pako Campus, which we have opened today, is one of the important parts of this change that has already begun.”
“Let them come to Izmir and see”
Expressing that he is experiencing two great happiness today, CHP Deputy Chairman Ali Öztunç said that there were complaints about shelters from all over Turkey and said, "Let them come, let them see how a CHP municipality builds a shelter, how it builds a facility at European standards. Here is the proof in Izmir. As an animal lover, I thank our President Tunç and I am proud. My second biggest pride is that Bekir Coşkun's dog Pako is named after this facility. Our brother Bekir was a very good pen. I would also like to thank our President Tunç for not forgetting his brother Bekir. Even though obstacles are put in front of them by CHP municipalities, they overcome these obstacles. We are overcoming obstacles. We call it the one that is coming," he said.
"I was very touched"
Anderee Coşkun, who expressed his happiness for bringing such an exemplary facility to İzmir, said, “I believe that Bekir sees and hears us. This place will really set an example for Turkey. On behalf of all animal lovers, I sincerely thank you. It was an exemplary shelter. I am really emotional. Pako was our dog, we fell in love with Bekir in Izmir. Bekir was an animal lover like me. We have always tried to save animals from the street. Don't buy animals from outside, adopt here. Bring it here to instill a love of animals in your own children. Pako was a dog writer. His writings were published, and this continued after his death. Our President Tunç Soyer"Thank you very much for your efforts," he said.
President Tunç Soyerthank you
Izmir Chamber of Veterinarians President Selim Özkan also said, “I would like to thank our Bronze President very much. It has brought a very serious facility to Izmir for stray animals," he said.
Bornova Mayor Mustafa İduğ, on the other hand, stated that Pako's name will live on in İzmir and said, "I would like to thank our mute friends for allocating a place."
purchase own
The campus, which was built with a green focus in European standards, was named after the dog of journalist Bekir Coşkun, who passed away in 2020, Pako. Units for puppies and different dog breeds were established on the campus, which consists of 16 shelters and 4 service buildings. The capacity of the facility, which was built on an area of approximately 37 thousand square meters, will be able to increase up to 3 thousand dogs with additional shelters. In the green-focused center, there are also veterinary service units, prohibited breed shelters and quarantine departments where the problems of animals in need of treatment and rehabilitation will be resolved and adoption will be encouraged. In the facility, which also includes an open-air amphitheater and a show area, citizens will be able to come together with dogs in a common area with the slogan of "Don't buy and own". The campus will also serve as an emergency response base for stray animals. Many complicated operations can be performed by specialist physicians here. On the campus, which draws attention with its training, workshop and activity areas, a green area has also been created in order to reduce the stress of animals.
Draft animals abandoned on the street are not forgotten
In the center, a shelter area was established in a 4 square meter section for abandoned pack animals. With the intensive work of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Department of Science, Construction, Parks and Gardens and Veterinary Affairs Department teams, a perimeter wall was built around the area from unused ready-mixed concrete in the possession of the municipality. A wooden fence was built over the wall. A closed section was also built to protect the pack animals from the cold.
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