Poopgate: Is Beloved Istanbul Street Dog Caught In Turkey’s Political Dirty Tricks?
Boji the dog was giving a good image to Istanbul's public transportation system. Some wonder if opponents of the mayor exercised the canine nuclear option...
The innocent Boji rides public transportation in Istanbul
Boji, a street dog in Istanbul, has garnered national and international acclaim in recent weeks for his ability to navigate the Turkish megapolis all on his own — commuting on the metro, riding ferries and even taking elevators.
According to Getty Images photographer Chris McGrath, who followed him around the city, Boji loves riding the city's trams and trains. The dog's name comes from the word "bogie" ("boji" in Turkish), the framework of a vehicle that houses the wheel and axle, since his favorite spot is sitting on top of the bogie and feeling the vibrations of the engine.
City workers began to take care of Boji and track his movements with a mobile app; and a local dog instructor, Ali Yeşilırmak, set up social media accounts that quickly built major followings, with some reporting that even Istanbul's mayor is a fan.
Awwws to ewwws
But this past Friday evening, the mixed-breed canine was suddenly turned into public (transportation) enemy No. 1 after he was blamed for defecating inside one of the city's trams. On social media, a photo of a turd on a seat went viral, with Boji accused of the crime, reports local daily Hürriyet.
But just hours later, another plot twist was in store: The spokesperson of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality shared a security camera video from the tram in question, showing a bald man in a sweatshirt taking the piece of poop out of his pocket (yes, gross…) and planting it on the seat. Yeşilırmak also tweeted an alibi to the pooch's 100K+ followers: Boji had been hanging out at the shelter that day.
Boji\u2019nin tramvaya kaka yapt\u0131\u011f\u0131 iddia edilmi\u015fti. Ama kameralar bize bu ak\u0131l almaz g\u00f6r\u00fcnt\u00fcleri g\u00f6sterdi, izleyin.pic.twitter.com/xLnDH7cjOb— Murat Ongun (@Murat Ongun) 1637402190
Here's a good Boji
Why would someone choose to slander man's best friend? The answer might just be politics.
Bilge Ebiri, a journalist and filmmaker, tweeted that Boji has become an unofficial mascot for Istanbul and its mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a center-left politician, who is seen by many as the strongest rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his conservative Justice and Development Party.
Was poopgate the ultimate political stinkbomb to make both Boji and Istanbul look bad?
While Boji's Instagram says that he is still waiting for an apology, he seems to have taken the incident in stride, with little damage to his reputation. Anyway, he has a train to catch.
