France-Turkey: the unbearable ordeal of exported cows
The CIWF has just released shocking footage from its investigation into the transport of cattle from Europe to Turkey. France, a major player in this trade, must stop participating in it and ban this cruel practice, and we must rethink our consumption habits to adopt a cruelty-free lifestyle.
They are thirsty; they lick the bars of the trucks. They are hungry. They eat their own feces. They are full-term and give birth to a baby, which is immediately taken away. They are exhausted and they die there, in the trucks. This is the Turkish border. Some were born in France; the others come from elsewhere in Europe. Their ordeal is indescribable; the images are unbearable.
The CIWF Investigation
CIWF is a partner organization of One Voice. Its partners—Tierschutzbund Zurich, Animal Welfare Foundation, and Eyes on Animals—conducted an investigation in Kapikule, on the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, last June as part of an inquiry that began in 2010. Of the 200 trucks that passed through, 109 were inspected. The cattle had been confined there for several days, in direct sunlight, without clean water or food. The temperature exceeded 38°C inside the vehicles, where the smell of ammonia mingled with that of the carcasses. Because under these conditions, not all of them survive. Five calves were born there. One of them was delivered by cesarean section: his mother was cut open on the spot, in the street. He was already dead. She, exhausted, her belly still open, was unable to climb back into the trailer. So she was slaughtered while fully conscious. Next to the truck.
France is guilty
France’s involvement in this major scandal is far from trivial. France was the leading exporter of live animals to Turkey in 2015. The number of animals exported subsequently declined due to the bluetongue epidemic, but agreements are currently being negotiated to increase exports once again. It is also worth noting that over the course of the six-year investigation, 350 trucks transporting sheep and cattle were inspected. Of these, 89% of those originating from France were in violation of European legislation. And the French and European authorities have been aware of this situation for a long time!
We must say stop!
In the face of this horror that has already gone on far too long, One Voice supports the request made by CIWF to Stéphane Le Foll to halt all exports of live animals to Turkey. You too can take action by sending him a petition on the ministry’s dedicated page.
And help us change consumer habits—veganism is no longer a utopia! Because these cows belong to the dairy industry—there’s no doubt about it. Treated as production machines until the very end, and their calves as byproducts. So, to support the shift toward a plant-based diet, visit Vegan Pratique!
Photo credit: www.AWF-TSB.org & Eyes on Animals