In Çınarcık district of Yalova, stray dogs vandalized parked cars. The fact that cars were of the same make and model drew attention, with vehicle owners demanding compensation from the municipality. Expert physiotherapist Erhan Akça, residing in a site in Çınarcık, parked his car in front of the building last Saturday. Later, when Akça returned home and went to see his car in the morning, he was shocked by the sight. Akça found his car in a dismantled state in front of the building, and learned that dogs had caused this. Street dogs vandalized another car of the same make and model alongside Akça’s vehicle.

Recalling the incident, Akça said, “There was a crowd around my car in the morning when I came down. I did not understand what was going on. When I went down, I saw significant damage to my car. The hood, front fenders were shredded, I didn’t understand what had happened. There was another car behind mine. Same model, same make, and it had the same damages. My neighbors told me it was a dog attack. Looking in detail, I saw bite marks, blood traces on the body. I saw another car having the same problem two weeks ago. It was a much more luxurious and newer car.”

Having his car serviced, Akça stated that his vehicle incurred an average of 100,000 Turkish Lira worth of damages and depreciated in value. He said, “As known, the responsibility of street dogs lies with municipalities, as clearly ordered by the Ministry of Interior and governors. Report was issued, confirming that there were bite marks, proving it was a dog attack, and there were witnesses. We spoke to the mayor, trying to reach an agreement. We are both trying to resolve the issue without any losses, but we do not know how the process will proceed. It seems like it will end up in court.”

Akça also mentioned there are precedent court decisions indicating that municipalities pay for such damages. Describing how dogs pose a major problem in his area, Akça said, “It’s a great relief that there were no other people there. There are serious blood traces on the body. Despite their mouth getting injured, those dogs continued to vandalize the car. I believe they wouldn’t have spared a human if they passed by. I am also an animal lover, I have a cat at home, but nothing is more valuable than a human life. They need to be rehabilitated, collected.”

Adding a humorous touch, Akça said, “It turned out to be a bit of a funny incident. I can hear some chuckling sounds from callers wishing me a ‘get well soon’.”