Jackals, hyenas get a voice in Turkish parliament

An opposition deputy has taken the floor in Turkey's parliament to defend jackals and hyenas, after both animals were mentioned in an analogy about the government's alleged corruption.

"I would never want people to turn animals into fodder in their speeches," main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Melda Onur said on Feb. 23, after Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Hasip Kaplan slammed "thieves, corrupt people, torturers and jackals" in his address against the government.

"I condemn Kaplan. Neither jackals nor hyenas eat or steal more than what they need. Some people are not like them. We know who they are," Onur, an animal rights activist, added.

"Please don't pick on animals any more. From now on, I will take the floor every time you target animals, be they pigs, donkeys or jackals," she added.

Kaplan, whose surname means "Tiger" in Turkish, later took the rostrum to respond to Onur.
"[She] engaged in a harsh verbal taunt against me by referring to my surname, bringing animal rights to the agenda of parliament, where there is not even respect for human rights," he said.

"But I completely agree with her that a jackal steals or eats only to survive. It steals just what it needs. To protect them, I apologize to animals," he added.