Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye

Ayşe Arat; Kürşat Ersöz; Mustafa Garip

doi:10.33988/auvfd.1920122

Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye

Abstract

Animal welfare is based on the "Five Freedoms" principle, which is internationally applied to safeguard the physical and mental well-being of animals. Under European Union legislation, animals are recognized not merely as objects but as "sentient beings"; farming, transport, and slaughter processes are subject to strict welfare standards. Within this framework, the EU has established a comprehensive body of legislation defining species-specific housing, transport, and slaughter standards for animals such as laying hens, calves, and pigs. Today, the European Union continues to advance these standards through strategies such as "From Farm to Fork" and "Ending the Cage Age." In Türkiye, however, animal welfare is addressed primarily under Law No. 5199, which focuses on protecting animals, and Law No. 5996, which focuses on food and production. However, the human-centered rules introduced by Law No. 7527 in 2024 regarding the collection and sheltering of stray animals have been criticized for their lack of feasibility, particularly given the administrative and financial limitations of municipalities. When comparing the two legal systems, it is evident that regulations in Türkiye, such as the “Regulation on the Welfare of Farm Animals,” are consistent with the EU’s core directives. However, the most notable differences include the absence of detailed and stringent species-specific sub-standards in Turkish legislation, discrepancies in pre-slaughter stunning regulations, and the long transition periods (extended until 2026) granted for practices such as the mandatory use of GPS in transport vehicles. The study concludes that, although Turkish legal texts are not significantly behind global standards, their implementation faces serious challenges owing to insufficiently deterrent penalties, weak enforcement, and limited public awareness.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Animal Science, Genetics and Biostatistics

Journal Section

Review

Authors

Ayşe Arat
0000-0001-8261-4302
Türkiye

Kürşat Ersöz
0000-0002-0167-6876
Türkiye

Mustafa Garip ^*
0000-0002-1429-2724
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

August 19, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

April 1, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 30, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1920122

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA96SB57JR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Arat, A., Ersöz, K., & Garip, M. (2026). Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1920122

AMA

1.Arat A, Ersöz K, Garip M. Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.33988/auvfd.1920122

Chicago

Arat, Ayşe, Kürşat Ersöz, and Mustafa Garip. 2026. “Comparative Analysis of Animal Welfare Regulations in the EU and Türkiye”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1920122.

EndNote

Arat A, Ersöz K, Garip M (August 1, 2026) Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi Advanced Online Publication

IEEE

[1]A. Arat, K. Ersöz, and M. Garip, “Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye”, Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg, no. Advanced Online Publication, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.33988/auvfd.1920122.

ISNAD

Arat, Ayşe - Ersöz, Kürşat - Garip, Mustafa. “Comparative Analysis of Animal Welfare Regulations in the EU and Türkiye”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi. Advanced Online Publication (August 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1920122.

JAMA

1.Arat A, Ersöz K, Garip M. Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026. doi:10.33988/auvfd.1920122.

MLA

Arat, Ayşe, et al. “Comparative Analysis of Animal Welfare Regulations in the EU and Türkiye”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication, Aug. 2026, doi:10.33988/auvfd.1920122.

Vancouver

1.Ayşe Arat, Kürşat Ersöz, Mustafa Garip. Comparative analysis of animal welfare regulations in the EU and Türkiye. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026 Aug. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.33988/auvfd.1920122