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Protest from the Anti Fur Society of Turkey: 'Blood-Free Store Window
Displays'
Astragan?
Fur Should Stay Where it Belongs, on the Animal it
Came From
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Within our
country, the animal rights community had been focused on stray
animals for the past years; an independent community which would
deal with issues as vegetarianism, animal testing and fur
commerce had not been established until early 2000.
Since we have entered year 2000, the European Union topic was
put on the agenda and has regained high priority concerning the
animal rights besides many other issues. Today the animal rights
aim is to protect the wild life as well as farm and domestic
animals.
Although a complete animal liberation logic is not fully
maintained within our country, important steps have been taken
in regard to this issue since recent years. The Internet has
been identified as one of the most important tools for the
people who practice / study animal rights. Websites and mail
groups have gained great importance.
Until the beginning of 2005, none of the communites focused on "leather
and fur industry" and "animal commerce for fur", and the fur
commerce topic was mentioned rarely in the stray animals'
websites and bulletins. Not so many people were aware of the
facts about the slaughtered fur animals.
Apart from documents of the international animal rights
communities, and in order to access the statististical
information, in January 2005 a website "kurkehayir.com" (initial
web address of Kurkehayir.gen.tr) was created which revealed
proper data, so that people can become aware of the grim reality.
The mentioned website was a small structured webpage, in which a
couple of people shared the information they had. Within 2
months, it gathered the attention of the people interested in
animal rights and the media.
To keep the website updated, inspirations were gathered from
communities such as PETA, and e-books were prepared and protest
letters were sent to the press when they mentioned any news
which supported the fur industry.
Since the website targeted the national celebrities wearing fur,
it also started to be known by the national magazine press.
Afterwards an e-group was created and the activists could share
information through that system.
Kurkehayir.gen.tr; while enlighting people about how fur is
obtained and animal abuse for fur, it also states those
celebrities supporting fur and announces the fur companies so
that our fellow-citizens can chose their own social initiatives
towards these parties.
The website targets to get more interactive and pull a larger
amount of people to the activists side.
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