Update 15 Oct by Animal Welfare Foundation: “The cows were taken to a slaughterhouse near the border and unloaded there. Thus the torture of the unnecessarily tortured animals will end.”
Two trucks carrying pregnant cows from Germany have been stranded for nearly a month at the Turkish border. The cows are emaciated. Two cows and a calf died on the trucks, prompting urgent calls for intervention from animal welfare organizations.
The animals have been in the trucks since mid-September and are now stuck in horrible conditions due to bureaucratic errors.
The trucks, loaded with 69 pregnant cows, crossed the border into Turkey but have since been denied further passage. They’re stuck in Kapikule.
The reason is that Brandenburg, the origin of the cows, was declared a bluetongue disease-affected area after the animals had already left.
Despite testing negative for the disease, a database error in the European animal transportation system TRACES has blocked the trucks from proceeding or returning to Germany. The animals are trapped.
Reports describe the cows standing ankle-deep in their own waste, unable to lie down due to overcrowding, and visibly weakened. The German animal welfare organization Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) described the suffering as unimaginable.
A calf was born amid the cramped and filthy conditions in one of the trucks but died shortly afterward. Without access to veterinary care, his emaciated mother could not feed him.
“Turkish authorities must act immediately. We demand that the animals be discharged immediately and provided with sufficient water and fodder in a stable near the border so that they can deliver their calves,” AWF said.
Cow transport from Europe to Turkey
Turkey is a significant importer of live cows from the EU, including from countries like Germany. The transport of live animals from the EU to Turkey often involves long journeys, sometimes lasting several days or even weeks.
A significant problem arises at the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, where cows can be delayed due to veterinary checks or documentation issues. These delays often leave the animals stranded in poor conditions without proper care.
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