Animal rights activists have launched an online petition calling on authorities to step in to stop the abuse of horses on Istanbul's Princes' Islands. Horse carriages are a popular means of sightseeing on the islands but complaints have piled up about mistreatment by their owners.

As summer kicks off, the islands, which offer a respite from crowded Istanbul, are filled with hundreds of people. Horse carriages are used to reach the scenic areas in the hills at the heart of the islands, as almost all areas are closed to traffic. Activists claim horses are forced to pull overcrowded carriages, are often injured in the process and are forced to work while injured by their owners, who they say put profits before the horses' health.

Activists claim that dozens of horses die every year on the islands due to horse carriage owners forcing them to carry heavy loads without breaks for long hours. They claim that most of the horses brought to the islands are either old or crippled race or utility horses. They propose the use of electric or motor carriages to replace the horses