Island horses need municipal attention

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Islands’ locals have filed complaints regarding the terrible conditions horses are forced to endure on the islands, leaving them weak, neglected and overworked. REUTERS photo Hürriyet photo

Horses of the Princes Islands are suffering bad treatment from their owners which is raising eyebrows among the locals as well. According to a report of the daily Zaman, some of the locals have made complaints to the local administrations about the terrible conditions of the weak and uncared-for horses that are either left to die at remote corners of the islands or forced to do overwork. 

According to information received from the Princes’ Islands Municipality, the horse carriages on the islands are under Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s regulation. The press representatives of the Metropolitan Municipality, on the other hand, refused their responsibility over the matter and said that they were only regulating the horse stables on the islands through their company İSPARK, which also regulates the parking lots around Istanbul.

Princes Islands Municipality officials also said they asked for overtaking the responsibility of regulating the horse carriages, but their request was rejected by the Metropolitan Municipality. The statement from the Princes Islands Municipality reads “the Princes Islands Municipality has been sharing information with Istanbul governorship, Princes Islands district governorship, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Chamber of Carriage and Non-motor Vehicle Drivers to provide solutions for problems related to horse carriages on the islands, with unfortunately no positive results so far.”