Former tourism minister condemns red deer hunting tender in Bolu

BOLU

Bülent Akarcalı, the former health and tourism minister, has expressed his disapproval of the recent tender issued by the Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) agency, which permits the hunting of 14 red deer in the northwestern province of Bolu for a fee of 408,000 Turkish Liras.

"The impact of hunting on tourism in Türkiye is not even one in a million. Even if it were, a foreigner coming and killing the rare animals in the country, which are already few in number, would turn Türkiye into the colonial countries of Africa in the 18th century," he stated.

Akarcalı further criticized the DKMP under the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, asserting that the senseless killing of innocent animals "does not align with the values of modern Türkiye."

He urged immediate action to reverse the current regulations that permit hunting tourism for foreign visitors, stating, "No one should try to reconcile animal slaughter with tourism."

Additionally, he argued that even boutique hotels with 10 rooms contribute more positively to the country's tourism sector than the revenue generated by foreign hunters.

The former minister went on to call upon Türkiye's top religious body Diyanet to address the issue. He referenced a 2004 article penned by then-Diyanet head Mehmet Nuri Yılmaz, in which he wrote that it is not acceptable to engage in excessive hunting or kill animals solely for pleasure without the intention of consumption.

The controversy surrounding the hunting tender gained political attention when Türker Ateş, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), brought the matter to the parliamentary agenda last week.

The deputy submitted a parliamentary question directed at Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, inquiring about the number of animals allowed to be hunted in the name of hunting tourism over the past decade.