New inspection station opened for animal transit to Thrace

November 7, 2026 · Milliyet

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officially launched the Marmara Veterinary Road Control and Inspection Station in Beykoz, Istanbul, to maintain Thrace's foot-and-mouth disease-free status and prevent uncontrolled animal transport.

Marmara inspection station opened in Beykoz

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry continues to strengthen its inspection infrastructure to prevent the spread of animal diseases. The Marmara Veterinary Road Control and Inspection Station, established in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, was officially opened with a ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Suat Parıldar, and numerous ministry personnel. Speaking at the facility's opening, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following statement:

'We are gathered here for the opening of the Veterinary Road Control Point. I wish it to be auspicious for our country's livestock and veterinary health services. We are in a period where the need for food is increasing more due to agricultural lands being under pressure for various reasons, both within countries and due to climate change.'

Steady rise in livestock population over two years

The field results of policies implemented in line with the goals of sustainability and efficiency in agricultural production have become clear. Minister İbrahim Yumaklı noted that all planned items within the scope of the Livestock Roadmap, announced to the public in February 2024, have been fully implemented. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry data, the cattle population increased by 7.4% between December 2023 and June 2026. In the same period, the number of small ruminants rose by 16%. Yumaklı thanked the producers who contributed to this success, stating that the main goal is to establish strong farms and healthy herds.

Combating epidemic diseases and domestic vaccines

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı emphasized the importance of preventive veterinary medicine efforts, stating:

'Combating animal diseases is not something that can only be done after the disease appears. You need to make your preparations beforehand, and you need to organize or establish your entire infrastructure accordingly. Therefore, we are strengthening our preventive veterinary medicine services, carrying out our vaccination efforts fully and on time without any deficiencies, and utilizing the technological infrastructure in combating diseases.'

Providing information about domestic vaccine production and ongoing work, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı continued his statements:

'While increasing our domestic vaccine production capability and capacity, we continue to upgrade our veterinary control laboratories and similar facilities to advanced biosafety standards. We have also completed our work on combining vaccines for sheep and goat pox and sheep and goat plague. There is a disease defined globally as 'Bluetongue'; we have made significant progress in combating it.'

According to ministry data, case numbers have decreased by 68% for sheep and goat plague, 70% for Bluetongue, and 40% for pox.

Road control inspection network in six provinces

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that transport processes are as crucial as intra-farm hygiene, saying:

'The rules that must be followed in the transport of animals from one place to another are at least as important as the health rules within the farm. Therefore, we are working to eliminate the risk of uncontrolled animal movements and the spread of diseases.'

Istanbul has been added to the inspection stations previously established by the ministry in Erzurum, Elazığ, Kayseri, Çankırı, and Ankara. Within the scope of official inspections carried out at the first 5 active stations, 48,853 vehicles and 7.5 million live animals were inspected. As a result of these inspections, non-compliance was detected in 2,204 vehicles and 22,817 animals, and administrative sanctions were applied.

Thirty-six million fine for illegal shipments

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı emphasized that the primary goal of road control points is to protect honest producers, stating:

'Our aim is not to catch mistakes and impose fines. The purpose of these inspections is to protect our producers who produce and transport their animals in accordance with the rules, to prevent the spread of diseases, and to prevent unfair competition in our sector.'

According to information shared by the ministry, approximately 36 million Turkish Liras in fines were imposed on transporters attempting to evade official control points and using illegal routes. Through the unwavering continuation of inspections, the aim is to completely prevent epidemic risks posed by unregistered animal transport and unfair commercial competition on the ground.

Thrace's foot-and-mouth disease-free status is protected

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı highlighted Istanbul's key role in animal shipments, saying:

'The Marmara Veterinary Road Control and Inspection Station, which we are opening today, is one of the strategic legs of this network. Istanbul is an extremely strategic location, especially for animal trade and transport routes. Controlling this route is of utmost importance, particularly for animal shipments from Anatolia to Thrace.'

Yumaklı reminded that the Thrace region and the European side of Istanbul have foot-and-mouth disease-free status with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and stated that crossings from Anatolia to the region will remain under strict surveillance to maintain this title.

Uncontrolled animal movements are ending

Minister Yumaklı touched upon the technical equipment of the Marmara Station that was opened, stating that transport vehicles will be inspected according to international standards and shared the inspection steps with the public. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı concluded his remarks by saying:

'At this station, identity and health checks of animals will be conducted, veterinary health reports will be examined, and our colleagues will evaluate the technical and hygienic suitability of the transport vehicles. If any additional measures and inspections are required, they will also be carried out. Thus, we will put an end to the uncontrolled movement of animals from Anatolia to Thrace, God willing.'

Thanks to the modern facility established, animal traffic in the region will be monitored 24 hours a day without interruption.

Türkçe