ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

As part of divorce negotiations, a Turkish man has agreed to pay his ex-wife 10,000 liras (approximately NIS 760) every quarter in “cat support” as part of their divorce agreement, Turkish media reported earlier this month.

The couple, based in Istanbul, ended their two year marriage over undisclosed relationship issues, according to Turkish media site Yenisafak.

Before their divorce, the then-husband-and-wife, Bugra and Ezgi, accepted responsibility for two cats, whom they kept as pets. After their divorce, it was agreed upon that Ezgi would maintain custody of the cats. 

Bugra agreed to pay 10,000 liras every three months for the next 10 years to cover part of the cost of their food, vaccination and medical needs.

A cat rests on the wreckage of a shop at Antakya's historical city center, the worst hit in an earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and leaving millions homeless, in Hatay province, Turkey May 4, 2023.
A cat rests on the wreckage of a shop at Antakya's historical city center, the worst hit in an earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and leaving millions homeless, in Hatay province, Turkey May 4, 2023. (credit: UMIT BEKTAS/REUTERS)

Legal protection for cats in Turkey

The agreement was based on the cats having an average 15 year lifespan and will be adjusted annually based on inflation.

Under Turkish animal protection law, pets are not considered property but instead living beings and abandoning an animal is a legal violation.

People who abandon pets in Turkey can be fined up to 60,000 liras (approximately NIS 4,600).