Shipload of cattle ‘infected with anthrax’
The development comes after Agriculture Minister Erkut Şahali affirmed, in light of an anthrax outbreak sweeping Turkey, that Turkish quarantine measures and TRNC import rules and inspections were adequate to prevent the disease reaching North Cyprus.
He stressed that the importation of livestock to North Cyprus was prohibited, while all animal products, feed and bales coming in were inspected and the Veterinary Department was keeping a close eye on the situation in Turkey.
The freighter, Rahmeh, had transported cattle from Brazil to Turkey, off-loading before the recent Kurban Bayram holiday after a 25day voyage. Infected cattle would have died within 14 days.
Turkish livestock farmers’ union Haytap claimed earlier in the week that the freighter had previously been moored off İstanbul with a cargo of livestock, including hundreds of infected cattle, and alleged that many had been slaughtered, chopped up and thrown into the sea.
However a Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry spokesman dubbed the claim “ignoble and a lie”.
He said livestock had been offloaded on August 20 and a municipal environmental team had then cleaned and disinfected the ship due to complaints over the smell and flies emanating from it.
Turkish authorities confirmed on August 28 that anthrax had been detected in 4,000 cattle imported from Brazil, leading to cattle deaths, slaughter and vaccination across the country, and panic after reports of human infection.
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP Ömer Fethi Gürer raised the matter in the Turkish Parliament this month, claiming anthrax outbreaks in the country were linked to the import of cheap meat.
Commenting on Lebanese reports that “the ship was now bound for Lebanon although its destination is documented as Gibraltar”, Lebanese authorities said that no ship had yet transported cattle from İstanbul to Beirut and that if it did arrive, it would be denied entry.
Despite Turkish ministry claims that the ship was now bound for Spain, the Rahmeh was then spotted off the Turkish town of Çeşme before being seen in international waters off Sadrazamköy and Girne.