Research Information System
4th INTERNATIONAL KOP LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM, Karaman, Turkey, 21 - 23 October 2016, pp.53
Animals (per capitas) which were the humanity’s first means of wealth and etymologic root of modern
word of “capital” were handovered due to struggles for food or other reasons. Occasionally such
handovers were happened by thefts.
It was reported that one fifth of laws from Hittite period (200 articles) were about animal thefts and
breeding animals. With this study it was aimed to evaluate existent animal thefts in context of
precautions.
Materials of the study were composed primarily of historic accounts and archives along with related
national and international studies and internet sources. Attained Ottoman era archieves were
translated and findings were presented under different sections. Related data were resrospectively
evaluated in accordance with historic periods.
Catalogue searches in Governmental Archives of Prime Ministry of Turkey (Ottoman and Turkish
Republic eras) were revealed hundreds of cases of animal theft. It was determined that there were
mandates and laws commissioned and precautions proposed and also responsibilities given to
veterinary physicians to record animals in order to prevent animal thefts.
Today, its reported in article 142 of the Turkish Penal Code, in the case of large and small cattle thefts
will be sentenced to prison “from five years to ten years”. Official precautions to prevent animal thefts
by official institutions include area restricted trades, control of movement, thrustworthy personnel
and screening of animals by cameras and motion sensor lights. Animals which are accepted today as
living property and sentient organism. Therefore it can be said that considering animal theft as an
abduction crime would be more effective in preventing animal thefts of both owned and free animals.