US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6233

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ISTANBUL POLICE ARREST TRAFFICKERS

Identifier: 03ANKARA6233
Wikileaks: View 03ANKARA6233 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Ankara
Created: 2003-10-03 13:38:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG PREF TU
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ANKARA 006233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, PREF, TU 
SUBJECT: ISTANBUL POLICE ARREST TRAFFICKERS 
 
 
1.  (U) Hurriyet newspaper reported September 25 that Turkish 
show business manager Muzaffer Arslan coerced four Ukrainian 
ballerinas to work in a night club in Istanbul's Atasehir 
district in mid-June.  Arslan took possession of their 
passports, forced them to perform at the Play Show night club 
and involved them in prostitution.  Businessman Kemalettin 
Cirak, who bought one of the trafficked ballerinas, raped 
her.  After escaping Cirak, the ballerina and her three 
companions sought shelter with the police. 
 
 
2.  (U) The Istanbul Police arrested Arslan, Cirak, nightclub 
director Serdar Goktas, chief waiter Niyazi Ebcin and driver 
Fatih Saribas in mid-September.  According to Turkish 
National Police (TNP) Head of the Bureau for Combating 
Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons, Inspector 
Fikret Isgoren, four are in custody pending trial.  The 
police repatriated the dancers to the Ukraine. 
 
 
3.  (U) TNP Foreigners Unit Head Mehmet Terzioglu commented 
that 20 other organizers from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia and 
other Black Sea countries have been arrested for trafficking 
and are currently in jail while waiting for trials under the 
Turkish Penal Code's Section 201B, enacted August 2002, which 
specifically prohibits trafficking in persons. 
 
 
4.  (SBU)  Terzioglu complained that the International Office 
of Migration and State Department reports did not credit 
Turkey for its six current ongoing investigations related to 
trafficking.  However, he did not want to provide further 
details, except to say the investigations were "confidential" 
and mainly involve hotels in Istanbul.  Terzioglu indicated 
his interest in working with us to improve Turkey's standing 
from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 
 
 
5.  (U) Comment:  The Hurriyet article identified the four 
trafficked victims by name and photograph.  We will suggest 
to our police contacts that police keep victims' names and 
photographs from the press in future cases.  End comment. 
EDELMAN 

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