AKP adds line about animal rights to constitution


Members of the AKP Constitutional Commission have decided to include animal rights within the body of the Constitution following a recent incident in Bing�l, where an infant bear was beaten to death. Animal rights were added in the form of one sentence to article 129 of the Constitution, despite an existing Animal Rights Act.

During a meeting in Sapanca, Minister of State Nimet Cubukcu insisted that animal rights should be mentioned in the Constitution, while a discussion of the environment was taking place. Other participants reportedly said that laws protecting animal rights already exist, but it was eventually agreed that difficulty had been experienced in their implementation. Despite reluctance from several commission members, Cubukcu�s insistence and reminder of the Bing�l incident led to an agreement to place a line about animal rights in the Constitution.