Petitions, marches and death threats: The killing of a cat in Istanbul has thrown part of Turkey into turmoil, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene and the Turkish judicial system to reopen the trial.
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The incidents recorded by the surveillance camera date back to the night of January 1: In the hall of the building where he lives, Ibrahim K. was kicked. A street cat who is regularly fed by his neighbors and named Eros.
Sentenced in early February to a year and a half in prison, the man was immediately released for good behaviour, angering animal rights activists and part of the population, in a country where street cats, especially their large numbers, are usually given shelter. Grind and bowls of fresh water all year round.
Since then, an online petition calling for a harsher sentence has gathered 320,000 signatures, and in late February the justice minister announced a new trial, saying he had received a late-night phone call from President Erdogan telling him he was following up on the matter “personally.”
In a tense atmosphere, hundreds of people gathered, on Wednesday, in the corridors of the Istanbul court, where Ibrahim K. appeared. once again.
The judges increased the sentence by one year but without issuing an arrest warrant, for which animal advocates and crowds of Internet users tracking the perpetrator continue to demand his death, to the point of wishing for his death.
The Animal Protection Society's lawyer announced that she would appeal the decision, demanding the maximum prison sentence of four years stipulated by law.
On Thursday, the keyword #JusticepourEros (#ErosicinAdalet) was among the trending topics on “X” (formerly Twitter) in Turkey, and a photo of the deceased cat appeared on the front page of several major newspapers, including the Hurriyet daily, which has several Essays on Eros and “The Killer Abraham.”
Many figures also called for “justice for Eros,” including Argentine footballer Mauro Icardi, the star striker of the Turkish club Galatasaray.
