Petitions, rallies and death threats.
The murder of a cat in Istanbul has plunged part of Turkey into turmoil, pushing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene and the Turkish justice system to reopen a trial.
The facts, recorded by a surveillance camera, date back to the night of January 1.
In the hall of his building, Ibrahim K. kicks a street cat 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 behavior, arousing the ire of animal rights activists and part of the population, in a country where street cats, particularly numerous, are customarily offered shelter, kibble and bowls of fresh water all year round.
Erdogan would follow the affair “personally”
An online petition calling for a harsher sentence has since gathered 320,000 signatures, and in late February the justice minister announced a new trial, saying he had received a late-night call from President Erdogan telling him he was following the matter “personally”.
On Wednesday, in a tense atmosphere, hundreds of people crowded into the corridors of the Istanbul court where Ibrahim K. was appearing again.
Also read Cruelty towards animals: why so much hatred?
The judges increased the sentence by one year but without issuing a committal warrant, which animal defenders and swarms of Internet users who track the culprit, going so far as to wish him dead, continue to demand.
A lawyer for an animal protection association announced that she would appeal the decision, requesting the maximum sentence of four years in prison provided for by law.
Stars including Mauro Icardi are mobilizing
On Thursday, the keyword #JusticepourEros (#ErosicinAdalet) was among the trending topics on “X” (formerly Twitter) in Turkey, and the photo of the deceased feline appeared on the front page of several major newspapers, including the daily Hürriyet , which devotes several articles to Eros and the “killer Ibrahim”.
Kedi Eros'un katili tutuklanmadı!
İbrahim Keloğlan'a iyi hal indirimi: 2 yıl 6 ay hapis cezasıhttps://t.co/KLB48PHHpY pic.twitter.com/AmiCZvQgUv
— Hürriyet.com.tr (@Hurriyet) March 13, 2024
Many personalities have also demanded “justice for Eros” by posting photos with their own pets, including Argentine footballer Mauro Icardi, star striker for the Istanbul club Galatasaray.