ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday vowed to boost animal protection laws in Turkey following the launch of a probe against a suspect linked to the killing of a puppy.

“Protecting animals is not only a task, but also part of our belief, our humanity. Animals are not a commodity, but living being,” Erdogan said in a series of tweets.

While expressing his sorrow, Erdogan said a new ministerial bill for animal rights will be prioritized following June 24 elections.

“In 2004, we passed the Animal Protection Act [No. 5199], the first independent law to protect animals. We will also prioritize the government's draft, which contains new sanctions on animal rights, in the new period,” he said.

The president called on all Turks to be sensitive on the issue of protecting animals.

On Friday, a puppy succumbed to its wounds in western Sakarya province after it was found in a forest with its “front feet cut with a hard object and the back feet most likely ruptured” due to its skin peeling off, a veterinarian told Anadolu Agency.

A probe was launched against the suspect I.M., a construction machine operator.

Onur Cakmak, the veterinarian who responded to the puppy after it suffered for at least 10 hours, said it was unclear whether the killing of the puppy was an accident or deliberate.