MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF THE OTTOMAN APPROACH TO ANIMALS ON ANIMAL DIVERSITY IN ANATOLIA

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 140 - 171, 21.10.2025

Mehmet Emin Yardımcı , Ümran Gümüş , Alper Koç

Abstract

A high variety of animals live in Anatolian lands. The number of animal species living in Anatolia is on average 1.5 multiple higher than those living in Europe. Anatolia is an important stopping point for intercontinental bird migrations. The main research question of this study is whether the institutions that shaped the approach of Ottomans to animals had an impact on the high level of animal species living in Anatolian lands. In line with the main aim of the study "the Crime Rate Model", " Intergenerational Transfer Model" and " Bargaining Model Under the lnfinite Horizon " are constructed. Additionally historical documents supporting the findings are presented. Transferring the awareness of protecting nature from generation to generation has a significant impact on shaping the Ottoman social mentality. The two most important factors that shaped the approach of Ottomans to animals were the Islâmîc belief , which ordered animals to be treated compassionately and traditions-customs. The Ottomans treated compassionately to not only domesticated animals but also wild animals and tried to protect them. The Ottoman legal system, foresees optimal punishment of those who harm animals. The findings show that the institutions that shaped the approach of Ottomans to animals had a significant impact on the high level of animal species living in Anatolian lands. However it is understood that the effects of the two World Wars that took place in the 20. century are also an important point that should be evaluated in this framework. In this structure and process, it is obvious that the World Wars caused the richness of Anatolia to decrease. This situation also affected the level of animal species living in Anatolian lands.

Keywords

Animal Rights Law , Animal Welfare Policy , Assessment of Environmental Impacts , intergenerational Transmission , Game Theory

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