US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6688

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G. INL, INL/CTR, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE 
DEPARTMENT FOR VALERIE KWOK USAID E&E/ECA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2014 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, PGOV, SMIG, PREF, KWMN, TU, TIP IN TURKEY 
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: REPORT FROM CLOSED TIP TASK FORCE 
MEETING REVEALS GOT PROGRESS, CHALLENGES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 155988 
 
     B. ANK 6687 
 
(U) Classified by Polcounselor John Kunstadter; reasons: E.O. 
12958 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY:  NGO participants provided to Emboff accounts 
of a closed TIP Task Force meeting that highlighted the GOT's 
internal and sometimes contentious struggle to organize 
Turkey's government and non-government anti-TIP efforts.  The 
Task Force meeting, the second this calendar year, reportedly 
targeted the establishment of emergency hotlines and an 
anti-TIP public information campaign, tracking G/TIP's Turkey 
Action Plan (reftel).  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (S) Human Resources Development Foundation (HRDF) Exec. 
Dir. Demet Gural passed to Emboff her personal notes from the 
closed TIP Task Force meeting (para 4).  Gural asserted that 
the meeting's tone revealed a "renewed and genuine interest" 
in addressing TIP issues, but reflected the GOT's continuing 
inability to work through endemic bureaucratic obstacles 
(organizing the more than 20 independent government agencies 
and NGOs for a measured approach to TIP prevention, 
protection and prosecution), infrastructure deficiencies 
(system engineering problems with bringing the nationwide 
toll-free hotline online), and general funding shortfalls 
(limiting the implementation of a fledgling public 
information campaign).  The MFA, according to Gural, is now 
looking to restructure the TIP Taskforce and remand its 
anti-TIP coordinating responsibilities to the Ministry of 
Interior. 
 
3. (S) IOM Project Coordinator Meltem Ersoy independently 
confirmed Gural's account of the meeting, adding that "the 
atmosphere was tense, with yelling and screaming" as task 
force members disagreed on the best plans for action and on 
consequences for Turkey's Tier Rating with G/TIP.  During the 
meeting, the MFA reportedly committed to undertake further 
efforts to establish permanent facilities for the HRDF TIP 
Shelter, locate sources of funding beyond the USAID grant to 
the International Office on Migration, and finalize a deal 
with Turk Telekom to establish a national, toll-free 
emergency hotline (septel). 
 
4. (S) Please protect sources accordingly. 
 
BEGIN TEXT OF GURAL NOTES: 
 
THE NATIONAL TASK FORCE 7TH MEETING 
Date: Nov 2004 
Place: MoFA, Tandogan Building 
 
   AGENDA 
 
- Opening (MoFA) 
- Organizations, roles in victim identification with an 
emphasis on legislation (all participants and MoJ) 
- Hotline (Telekom) 
- Brochures and other informational pamphlets with the 
hotline number (HRDF) 
- MoH data on receiving victims in hospitals (MoH) 
- Judiciary data flow (MoJ) 
- Discussion of IOM project (MoI) 
- Suggestions from the participants on raising funds for HRDF 
(all participants) 
- Data flow to HRDF on regular basis (MoI) 
- Information on shelter operations (HRDF/MoI) 
- Review of National Action Plan - update (all participants) 
- Review of proceedings since the last National Task Force 
Meeting (all participants) 
- Next steps (all participants) 
- Additional comments, remarks (all participants) 
- Closing 
 
NOTES 
 
MoFA indicated that the Task Force may be handed over to MoI 
for coordination in the near future. MoFA also gave 
information about the IOM project that will be starting soon, 
American Embassy,s report in February 2005 and EU meeting 
(Council?) in Istanbul. 
 
During the discussions about a hotline, Telekom stated that 
the three digit numbers cannot be given due to complications 
in setting up the operators, servers, etc.. So, all decided 
that an 1-800 number should be taken immediately. HRDF will 
apply and the costs will be met from the IOM budget. It was 
also decided that those operators who answer the police and 
gendarme numbers hotlines, 155 and 156 should also be 
informed about the victim assistance and training should be 
given to these people. 
 
MoH did not have any statistics, however both police and 
gendarme had indicated their referrals. MoH will improve 
their data collection system in their hospitals. At the 
meantime, police and gendarme will also send their statistics 
to MoH for confirmed referrals. 
 
Judiciary data flow to the MoFA is working fine. 
 
There were not very productive discussions for HRDF funding 
needs. One participant suggested that the fines collected 
from 201/b may be used for shelter operation. This needs to 
be discussed with the Ministry of Finance. (MoFA will write a 
letter to Ministry of Finance on this). HRDF suggested that 
an application can be made to SRAP funds of the World Bank 
that goes through SYDV (Right after the meeting, HRDF 
representative discussed this issue with the SYDF 
representative who was present at the meeting. It seems that 
some funds can be obtained from this program for the shelter). 
 
On the discussions about the National Action Plan, it was 
decided that a revision is needed in the document, since some 
results were already achieved. 
 
HRDF raised the issue of finding a sustainable solution for a 
shelter and that a building should be found from government 
sources such as Vakiflar Genel Mudurlugu or Emlak Mudurlugu. 
MoFA will look into this issue. (HRDF will follow up). 
 
MoFA suggested that a smaller body (a committee) should be 
formed to follow up and facilitate the coordination of the 
National Task Force. 
 
END TEXT OF GURAL NOTES. 
EDELMAN