US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4808

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004808 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2005 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, PGOV, PHUM, PREF, SMIG, TU, TIP IN TURKEY 
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: ANTI-TIP NGO HRDF BOARD CHAIRMAN 
DISCUSSES VICTIMS SHELTER 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY. In August meetings with Emboff, Human 
Resources Development Foundation (HRDF) Board Chairman Turgut 
Tokus outlined past and present progress to bring HRDF's TIP 
victims shelter on-line.  He characterized support from the 
GOT, particularly the MOI and the MFA, as excellent and 
thanked Secretary Powell for dedicating Turkey's first 
shelter for victims of trafficking.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) HRDF Chairman Turgut Tokus told Emboff that officials 
within the Istanbul Municipality had originally opposed the 
establishment of a shelter facility for victims of 
trafficking based on complaints from neighborhood residents. 
Tokus said that residents, landlords and concerned citizens 
complained to the municipality when HRDF first approached 
them, opposed to the TIP shelter for various reasons 
including religious, moral, and security concerns.  According 
to Tokus, the long search for a facility finally ended when 
Tokus discussed the situation with Turkish Security 
Directorate Foreigners Department Head Mehmet Terzioglu and 
FonMin Abdullah Gul. Tokus characterized both officials as 
extremely helpful and said Gul intervened with the Istanbul 
mayor to make the shelter happen. 
 
3. (U) With the shelter operational, Tokus said HRDF's next 
goal is to find a permanent facility.  The Istanbul 
Municipality leases the current facility, an apartment in a 
local housing complex, and provides it free of charge to 
HRDF.  Tokus repeated previous requests for donations of 
household supplies to stock the shelter.  Emboff later 
delivered approximately 500 pounds of donated clothes and 
some household supplies, increasing the total donations from 
the Embassy Ankara community to more than 750 pounds of 
clothes and household goods. 
 
4. (U)  Tokus asked Emboff to relay his appreciation to 
Secretary Powell for congratulating HRDF for success in 
 
SIPDIS 
establishing a shelter for victims of trafficking.  Tokus 
noted that Secretary Powell's visit to Turkey for the June 
NATO Summit played a critical role in focusing efforts to 
establish the shelter. 
 
HRDF CONTINUES TIP FOCUS 
 
 
5. (U) The 2003 HRDF Annual Report contains the following 
references to TIP: 
 
"HRDF is a leading non-profit, non-governmental and 
autonomous organization working in Turkey to promote 
population and development education, information, training, 
services, and women's empowerment.   Since its establishment 
in 1988 by 40 founding members, HRDF has developed, executed, 
implemented, and also participated in a number of projects 
and activities at national and international levels on a wide 
and versatile range of issues such as STIs & HIV/AIDS 
training and information, Education and Communication (IEC) 
community development, community-based health services, 
development of technical training materials for service 
providers, promoting children's rights and improving the 
socio-economic status of women.  Since its establishment, 
HRDF has served 400,000 women, 30,000 health service 
providers, and 7,500 immigrants and refugees.  Through these 
projects and activities, HRDF has accumulated remarkable 
experience and know-how in project development, 
implementation and assessment, and also partnership and 
coordination skills with various international organizations. 
 Since 1997, HRDF has been a internationally accredited UNFPA 
executing agency.  HRDF has a special consultative NGO status 
with UN Economic and Social Council." 
 
"In 2003, HRDF carried out activities on reproductive health, 
sexual health, and community development for unprivileged 
groups.  This year, activities were mainly based on training; 
approximately 700 people from various professional groups 
were trained in reproductive health and rights, sexual 
health, service provision and interpersonal communication, 
etc.  HRDF has also started activities on combating Human 
Trafficking and made important steps in this field by signing 
an agreement with the Ministry of Interior." 
 
"COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING" 
 
"Human Trafficking is a global issue of the recent years that 
has both humane and criminal aspects.  Besides to contribute 
to the enduring international studies to prevent human 
trafficking and to improve Turkey's national capacity on the 
subject, the main objective of the program developed by the 
HRDF is to raise the awareness of people living in Turkey on 
human trafficking.  The program involves opening a shelter 
and counseling center and establishment of a wide network for 
collaboration of the NGO's in the region.  Moreover, the 
program aims to carry out the training of the police and the 
prosecutors/judges directly involved in the combat with human 
trafficking.  Within the scope of the Human Trafficking 
program and with support of the Open Society Institute (OSI), 
various NGOs in Moldova, Ukraine, Holland, and Austria have 
been visited and the studies for establishing a network have 
started.  European Union and British Council are currently 
providing the financial support for the training programs. 
Attempts to find funds for the shelter and counseling center 
are still underway.  The Ministry of Interior gave 
significant support to the activities that HRDF plans to 
carry out on human trafficking." 
 
6. (U) An HRDF brochure entitled: Resource: Human! 
distributed by HRDF contains the following: 
 
"PROBLEMS OF SEX WORKERS IN OUR COUNTRY" 
 
"It appears that taboos in our minds and our inclination to 
hide the truth are obstacles to solving the problems of sex 
workers.  HRDF sees assistance to all groups of human beings 
as part of its mission and tries to reach out to people who 
need help in every field.  The Foundation works to provide 
information and education on sexually transmitted diseases 
and HIV/AIDS to sex workers who work under high risk.  In 
Turkey, a project was carried out to improve the level of 
awareness and information of doctors and other health 
personnel on this topic.  A guidebook is also being prepared 
for doctors in Azerbaijan." 
 
"Sex workers are trained to help their co-workers.  They 
work, on a volunteer basis for 'Gaci', a bi-monthly bulletin 
published as part of the project." 
 
"THE WOMEN'S DOOR" 
 
"Counseling services are provided to those with health and 
social problems at a center called 'the Women's Door,' 
established in a district where many sex workers live.  The 
center also provides assistance to drug addicts." 
EDELMAN