By Hatice Senses Kurukiz
ISTANBUL (AA) – Horse-drawn carriages on Istanbul's Princes' Islands have been banned for three months due to an outbreak of glanders, a fatal disease mainly seen in horses, Istanbul's governor said on Friday.
“Horse-drawn carriages were suspended for three months to complete the process of checking the horses for glanders,” said Ali Yerlikaya in a video posted on Twitter.
The move came after at least 81 horses were killed after glanders was found during checkups on the islands, in the Sea of Marmara.
Yerlikaya said that a criminal complaint was filed against the owners of the 81 horses for endangering human, animal, and environmental health.
The governor also said that any stables found to be unauthorized will be destroyed immediately.
“We absolutely do not want any animal on the islands to live or be killed in bad conditions,” he added.
The four Princes' Islands — Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada — do not allow internal combustion engine vehicles other than emergency vehicles and some municipal vehicles.
Horse-drawn carriages are used for transport on the islands, especially during busy weekends with day-tripping tourists.
The poor conditions of around 1,500 horses on the islands have been frequently criticized by animal rights groups in Turkey.
In 2018, photos of dead horses on island roads due to bad conditions resulted in an uproar which led to the announcement of horse-drawn carriages being replaced by electric ones.
