Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

This half-starved car has been found by the roadside with its eyes scratched out of its sockets before being handed over to a kindhearted vet who took pity on the animal and is nursing it back to health.

An animal lover driving towards the Turkish province of Gaziantep caught sight of the injured male cat on the roadside on 5th May.

The concerned citizen stopped the car, picked the injured cat up, and began searching for the nearest veterinary clinic.

The cat was eventually dropped off at the Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP) Osmaniye Treatment Centre.

The cat was handed over to vet Ali Lacinbala, 37, who can be seen in the images treating the injured feline.

Ali told Newsflash that he initially hoped the cat merely suffered an eye infection, but he soon discovered that its eyes had been scratched out of their sockets.

He described the cat’s predicament as: “Completely heartbreaking.”

He proceeded to carry out a two-and-a-half-hour operation on the cat, removing the remnant of its eyes and closing up its eyelids.

The cat, which he called ‘Yakisikli’ (‘Handsome’), came around 12 hours after the operation.

The vet told Newsflash: “Yakisikli was about to die of starvation when he was brought to us, and as soon as he arrived, we started to give him liquid and mineral supplements.”

The vet went on: “Yakisikli can now eat, drink and explore by himself. He’s still very timid, but I’m confident he’ll get better.”

HAYTAP said that it has covered all the costs for the cat’s lengthy treatment as it often does in cases of abandoned pets like Yakisikli. Anyone can contribute to HAYTAP by making an online donation (https://bit.ly/33AItFI).

Ali commented on Animal Rights Law in Turkey, saying that more regulation is needed and the mistreatment of pets should incur heavier penalties.

He added: “Those who harm animals are generally violent and likely to also harm people. The public has a right to know who these people are, and the police should disclose their identities. We have a right to know if the people we meet every day are violent.”

The vet also said that the police have launched an investigation, but they do not yet know who is responsible for the cat’s injuries.

He concluded by saying: “We are not focused on what happened, we are focused on the future of this beautiful cat. We are going to treat him and then find him a new home.”