Petitions, protests, president Erdogan: Turks concerned over killing of stray cat

The killing of a stray cat in Istanbul has triggered petitions, protests and death threats, pushing the president to intervene and the courts to retry the culprit.

On January 1, Ibrahim K. was caught on a security camera in the lobby of the building where he lived kicking to death a stray cat named Eros that his neighbours regularly fed.

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Some 320,000 people signed an online petition demanding a stiffer sentence, and in late February the justice ministry said Ibrahim K. would be retried after it received a nighttime call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying he was taking a “personal” interest in the case.

Ibrahim K. was retried on Wednesday in a court building where hundreds of people thronged the corridors and the atmosphere was tense.

The judges increased his sentence by one year but did not order him to be detained, ignoring the demands of animal welfare groups and internet trolls who have sent him death threats.

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Hurriyet carried several articles about Eros and “Ibrahim the killer”.

Several celebrities have joined the Justice for Eros appeal, including Argentinian footballer Mauro Icardi, the star striker at Istanbul giants and reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray.