During the Eid al-Adha holiday, those who fail to follow sacrificial slaughter rules will face fines up to 88,499 TL. The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı) has issued a notice outlining measures for this year’s sacrifices. The notice sets standards to ensure that slaughtering is conducted in line with religious rulings, public health requirements and environmental cleanliness, and warns that large fines will be applied to individuals and businesses that do not comply.
According to the published notice, facilities that carry out communal slaughtering and violate legal requirements—such as disposing of sacrificial waste directly into the soil without taking required precautions—may be fined 88,499 TL. If the offense is committed individually in private residences, an administrative fine of 2,199 TL will be imposed. The measures were published in the Official Gazette under the “Notice on the Implementation of Eid al-Adha Services for 2020,” which also reintroduced certain precautions related to the coronavirus pandemic and came into force upon publication.
What Does the Notice for Eid al-Adha Cover?
The notice aims to make sacrifice procedures more orderly, reduce time loss and confusion, and minimize the risk of coronavirus spread. To that end, slaughter sites will implement an appointment system to manage access and prevent overcrowding. Authorities will take steps to avoid a concentration of slaughtering activity on the first day of the holiday.
Physical distancing of at least 1.5 meters must be maintained in animal sale and slaughter areas. Wearing a mask that covers both the mouth and nose is mandatory. Controlled entry and exit doors will be set up at animal sales points to prevent crowds. Hand sanitizer will be available at entrances and at designated points inside both sale and slaughter areas.
Access to animal sale areas will be controlled so that approximately one person is allowed per 8 square meters. Buyers and sellers should avoid hand-to-hand contact during price negotiations. At the entrances to animal markets and slaughter sites, staff will check for fever. Individuals with a measured temperature above 38°C will not be allowed entry and will be directed to health services. Customers will be warned not to linger at sales points.
Appropriate sales units will be placed in animal sale areas to prevent crowding and density at specific spots, with at least 2 meters kept between units. In locations where sellers stay overnight, beds must be spaced at least 1.5 meters apart.