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Saudi Arabia Re-Elected to Membership of AASTMT Executive Council

The council enables the Kingdom to monitor the implementation of the AASTMT General Assembly resolutions. SPA
The council enables the Kingdom to monitor the implementation of the AASTMT General Assembly resolutions. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Re-Elected to Membership of AASTMT Executive Council

The council enables the Kingdom to monitor the implementation of the AASTMT General Assembly resolutions. SPA
The council enables the Kingdom to monitor the implementation of the AASTMT General Assembly resolutions. SPA

The Executive Council of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), comprised of 22 nations, re-elected Saudi Arabia as a member for a two-year term, from 2023 to 2025.

The council enables the Kingdom to monitor the implementation of the AASTMT General Assembly resolutions, prepare the draft agenda and all AASTMT activities, as well as education plans, administrative and financial systems, and the financial budget, and approve the appointment of the council’s Vice Presidents.

The re-election came during the AASTMT General Assembly meeting, which includes experts and specialists from representatives of the Member States of the Arab League, and was held at the council's headquarters in Alexandria.

During the meeting, nine countries were elected to the Executive Council.

The primary objective of this election is to strengthen cooperation and collaborative endeavors in developing skilled professionals in modern management practices, as well as to elevate the proficiency of personnel in the Arab countries' maritime transport sector.

These objectives include equipping them with specialized knowledge in disciplines such as applied engineering and other scientific fields, thereby ensuring the efficient operation of commercially-driven merchant naval fleets.

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Turkish Official Vows to Enforce Law to Cull Stray Dogs after Death of 2-year-old

A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Turkish Official Vows to Enforce Law to Cull Stray Dogs after Death of 2-year-old

A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission has approved a bill aimed at regulating the country's large stray dog population, a move that has raised concerns among animal rights advocates who fear many of the dogs would be killed or end up in neglected and overcrowded shelters.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Türkiye 's interior minister on Sunday pledged to fully apply a law to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets in the wake of the death of a two-year-old girl.

The legislation – labelled the “massacre law” by animal welfare groups – was passed by parliament last summer but has been only partially implemented, if at all, by municipal authorities.

“Either they will do this job or I will use whatever authority the law gives me to the fullest,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a video message posted on social media, The AP reported.

Rana El Selci died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Konya, central Türkiye, on Friday. Her death sparked fresh outcry about the 4 million stray dogs that the government estimates roam Türkiye's streets and rural areas.

A criminal investigation was launched following her death as municipal workers began rounding up dogs in Konya. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that the government was “taking determined steps to ensure the implementation of the law.”

Animal lovers fear the legislation will lead to dogs being killed or ending up in neglected, overcrowded shelters. When the law was passed, the main opposition party pledged that its municipalities would not implement the round-up of strays.

Demonstrations in cities across Türkiye, meanwhile, saw thousands call for the scrapping of an article that would allow some animals to be euthanized. There were also protests across Europe, as people warned the law could dissuade tourists from visiting Türkiye.

Some critics have blamed the growth in the stray canine population on a failure to implement previous regulations, which required stray dogs to be caught, neutered or spayed and returned to where they were found. Others argue the law will be used to target the opposition, which made huge gains in last year’s local elections. The legislation includes penalties for mayors who fail to carry out its provisions.

Last year’s legislation requires municipalities to collect stray dogs and house them in shelters to be vaccinated, neutered or spayed before making them available for adoption. Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill, or pose a health risk to humans will be euthanized.