US embassy cable - 05ANKARA590

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 ANKARA 000590 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, INL/CTR, DRL, PRM, IWI 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PGI 
DEPARTMENT FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, KFRD, ASEC, PREF, ELAB, TU, TIP IN TURKEY 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: FIFTH ANNUAL TIP REPORT: PREVENTION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 273089 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 
 
2. (U) Post's responses are keyed to questions in Reftel A. 
This is part 3 of 4 (septel). 
 
Prevention 
---------- 
 
A. (SBU) Turkish MFA Illegal Migration Department Head 
Iskender Okyay stated that the two hundred sixty-two TIP 
victims assisted by the GOT in 2004 amounted to "only the tip 
of the iceberg."  Others state that Turkey has a problem of 
foreign prostitution and illegal migration, contending that 
Turkey's liberal visa regime for Balkan, Black Sea Littoral, 
and Caucasian states -- usually an automatic visa at the 
border for a nominal fee -- obviates the need for human 
smuggling gangs. 
 
B. (U) Government agencies involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts include the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, 
Interior (which includes the Turkish National Police and the 
Jandarma (paramilitary rural police)), Justice, and Labor; 
the Directorate General for Social Services and Child 
Protection; and the Directorate General on the Status and 
Problems of Women. 
 
C. (U) The Turkish Jandarma printed and distributed 9000 TIP 
brochures titled, "The Struggle Against Human Trafficking." 
The brochures were distributed to police precincts and 
citizens in: Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir, Trabzon, 
Adana, Afyon, Amasya, Asiyaman, Aydin, Batman, Bartin, 
Bayburt, Bitlis, Bursa, Burdur, Bolu, Cankiri, Corum, 
Diabakir, Denizli, Edirne, Elazig, Erzurum, Eskisehir, 
Gaziantep, Giresun, Hatay, Hakkari, Isparta, Karabuk, Kars, 
Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirikale, Konya, Kutahya, Mersin, 
Nevsehir, Nigde, Malatya, Mugla, Mus, Ordu, Osmaniye, 
Sakarya, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sirnak, Sivas, Rize, Usak, Yalova, 
Van, and Zonguldak. 
 
In a November 2003 internal memo distributed to precinct 
commanders, Jandarma Major General Mustafa Biyik, Head of 
Operations, wrote the following: "Trafficking can be defined 
as kidnapping women, children, and men with the purpose of 
sexual abuse.  I request you be informed about the 'Brochure 
of Combating Trafficking' that is prepared with the objective 
of informing staff on duty and enlightening the public by 
distributing to citizens and to police stations." 
 
The sixteen-page color brochure includes the legal 
definitions of "migrant smuggling, human trafficking, 
prostitution, abduction, rape, and slavery".  The brochures 
label TIP a "violation of human rights" and "one of the most 
heinous crimes in humanity".  The brochure instructs citizens 
who "may have witnessed or have knowledge of" human 
trafficking to "report the crime to a police station or 
Jandarma precinct immediately".  In the event citizens are 
concerned for their own safety or cannot make a personal 
appearance, the brochure, which was printed before the 
toll-free TIP hotline was established, encourages citizens to 
"call police or Jandarma at 155 or 156". 
 
Also see para D in the Overview section. 
D. (U)  The GOT carried out extensive legal reforms during 
the year aimed at meeting the requirements for European Union 
membership; Parliament in September adopted a new Penal Code 
and in May approved a package of constitutional amendments. 
Elements of the new Penal Code included: increased sentences 
for torture convictions; "honor killings" - the killing by 
immediate family members of women suspected of being unchaste 
- were defined as aggravated homicides; the statutes of 
limitations for all crimes were lengthened; the State was 
required to ensure that men and women have equal rights and 
that this protection is put into practice.  Before the 
amendment, the Constitution only stated broadly that all 
individuals were equal before the law. 
 
Women's rights advocates reported there were eight 
government-operated guest houses and three municipal shelters 
that provided services to battered women.  The Social 
Services and Child Protection Institution operated 
fifty-three family centers and several NGO-operated community 
centers.  Bar associations in more than 30 provinces provided 
legal services for women.  In July, Parliament adopted a law 
requiring municipalities with populations over 50,000 to 
provide shelters for women and children. 
 
The Directorate General on the Status and Problems of Women 
under the State Minister for Women's and Children's Affairs 
is responsible for promoting equal rights and raising 
awareness of discrimination against women.  In October 2004, 
Parliament adopted legislation that allows the Directorate 
General to expand its limited staff. 
 
Independent women's groups and women's rights associations 
existed but have not significantly increased their numbers or 
activities, mostly due to funding problems.  There were many 
women's committees affiliated with local bar associations. 
Other organizations included the Association for Supporting 
and Training Women Candidates (Ka-Der), Flying Broom, the 
Turkish Women's Union, and the Foundation for the Evaluation 
of Women's Labor. 
 
According to Flying Broom, there was a sharp increase during 
the year in the level of media attention to women's issues. 
The status of women at times became an issue in the context 
of EU candidacy.  Flying Broom prepared 26 one-hour women's 
issues radio programs during the year; the print media also 
covered women's issues more closely than in the past. 
 
The GOT was committed to furthering children's welfare and 
worked to expand opportunities in education and health.  The 
Minister of Women's and Family Issues oversaw implementation 
of official programs for children.  The Children's Rights 
Monitoring and Assessment High Council focused on children's 
rights issues. 
 
GOT-provided education through age fourteen or the eighth 
grade is compulsory. 
 
E. (U) Officials claim financial difficulties in funding 
prevention programs, though the GOT, for the first time, paid 
IOM membership fees (152,000 Swiss Francs), provided a grant 
to IOM for continuing anti-TIP training programs (10,000 
USD), and funded Turkey's first VoT shelter and victim 
hotline. 
 
F. (SBU) In June 2004, HRDF and the Istanbul Municipality 
signed a formal agreement to establish a shelter for victims 
of trafficking.  Under terms of the agreement, the Istanbul 
Municipality leased and renovated a residential housing unit 
and turned administration of the facility over to HRDF.  On 
September 4, 2003, HRDF signed an anti-TIP protocol with the 
MOI General Directorate of Security (text below). 
 
GOT aspirations for EU accession and past G/TIP tier rankings 
have spurred new awareness and acknowledgment of TIP issues 
within the GOT.  In past reporting periods, for example, the 
GOT refused IOM airport access necessary to escort returnees 
directly to their flights.  IOM now characterizes its 
relationship with the GOT as "excellent and amazing," noting 
that the MFA has become a "supportive partner" and that the 
MOI has granted IOM staff "full access to airports, including 
restricted areas" for a fully operational voluntary 
repatriation program. In December, the GOT applied for and 
received full member nation status with the IOM. 
 
IOM Chief of Mission Marielle Lindstrom told us, "I've always 
believed this government has staged a silent revolution.  The 
difference between last year and this year is night and day." 
 
According to HRDF outgoing Executive Director Demet Gural, 
"we couldn't ask for better cooperation with our police 
contacts; victims report that they are treated with respect, 
competency, and sympathy.  Whatever we ask for, the police 
deliver." 
 
BEGIN TEXT OF PROTOCOL: 
 
This agreement was signed between the Ministry of Interior 
General Directorate of Security (herein after Interior) and 
the Human Resource Development Foundation (herein after HRDF) 
within the framework of   Human Trafficking, programme 
towards the below-mentioned principles in order to determine 
the responsibilities of the two parties, by the executives 
whose names and signatures are below, as two copies on 
September 5, 2003. 
 
The Definition of the Parties 
 
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (General Directorate of 
Security) (Interior), Supporting Agency 
 
The Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF), 
Implementing Agency 
The responsibilities of HRDF: 
 
Due to the financial aid HRDF will obtain, HRDF is 
responsible for the tasks stated below, in order to implement 
the programme activities defined in Appendix I: 
1. To establish a network among non-governmental 
organizations in Turkey and regional countries affected by 
human trafficking, 
 
2. To provide training for government officers to refresh and 
consolidate on the recent amendments of Turkish Penal Code 
and the standards of international legislation on human 
trafficking, 
 
3. To advocate for the amendments in Turkish Penal Code 
required by the standards set by the international 
legislation, 
 
4. To execute activities in order to strengthen the capacity 
of Turkish NGOs for the promotion of human rights in Turkey 
including the rights of trafficked persons and sex workers, 
 
5. To establish a counseling center which will provide 
psychological, health and legal services for trafficked 
victims, 
 
6. To provide a shelter for the victims, within the framework 
of the procedures and fundamentals set by the Ministry of 
Interior, concerning temporary residence permit and staying 
in Turkey, 
 
7. To provide a shelter for human trafficking victims, 
 
8. To develop and distribute information, education and 
communication materials to inform the public, related 
institutions and the victims about human trafficking, 
 
9. To evaluate the demands of collaboration and support of 
international non-governmental organizations working in this 
field, such as the International Office for Migration. 
 
Assistance To Victims Of Trafficking In Women In Turkey 
 
1.    Introduction 
 
Until very recently, Turkey had been recognized as a 
'sending' country in terms of international migratory flows. 
However, today, it has become both a 'receiving' and a 
'transit' country.  The recent political turmoil and clashes 
occurring in neighboring areas have pushed migrants into the 
country with the hope of a better life, security and 
protection from persecution.  Turkey becomes a destination 
country for persons trafficked for the purposes of sexual 
exploitation and labor.  Most victims come from countries of 
the former Soviet Union, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, 
Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. 
Although there exists efforts for the prevention of human 
trafficking and rehabilitation programs for the victims of 
the trafficking in Western and Eastern European countries, 
the only response to the problem of human trafficking in 
Turkey is from the formal security departments.  As a growing 
international problem governmental, intergovernmental and 
non-governmental bodies should work together on this issue 
within a network.  When we look at the situation in Turkey 
only a limited number of policemen from various security 
departments of different cities encounter with the 
identification, accommodation and rehabilitation problems of 
the victims together with the criminalisation of the 
traffickers and there exists almost no NGO activity targeting 
the victims of human trafficking and no special programme on 
the issue. 
 
The Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF) based in 
Istanbul is a leading NGO working in the field of population 
and development with an emphasis in reproductive health. 
HRDF has been implementing programmes aiming to strengthen 
the social and health conditions of sex workers and 
supporting refugees in different ways since 1989.  Although 
migrant sex work and human trafficking are two different 
categories, they may represent together the problem of a 
woman trafficked from a former soviet country and working as 
a sex worker in Turkey.  Working under oppressed conditions 
means that a sex worker does not take care of her/his health 
and cannot negotiate for safe sex.  Increasing figures of 
people living with HIV/AIDS among migrant sex worker 
population reveals this fact in Turkey. 
 
2.    Objectives 
 
The overall objective of the programme is to contribute to 
international efforts and to enhance the national capacity of 
Turkey to prevent trafficking in women as well as to increase 
awareness of Turkish population on trafficking in women.  The 
following short term objectives are determined for a period 
of two years to be implemented by the HRDF to contribute the 
achievement of the overall objective. 
 
a. To establish a network among non-governmental and 
governmental organizations of regional countries influenced 
by human trafficking in Eastern Europe including Turkey. 
 
b. To provide training for the government officers on the 
recent amendments of Turkish Penal Code regarding human 
trafficking. 
 
c. To determine the necessary legislative efforts to be 
undertaken in Turkey for the elimination of human trafficking 
and providing support for the victims of human trafficking. 
 
d. To strengthen the capacity of Turkish NGOs for the 
promotion of human rights in Turkey including the migrants 
and trafficked persons. 
 
e. To establish a counseling and rehabilitation center and a 
hot-line for victims of human trafficking. 
 
3.    Strategies and Activities 
 
a. As trafficking in women is a transnational problem, 
collaboration among all kinds of organizations is very 
crucial in the elimination of the problem.  The International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in Turkey and 
various organizations in neighboring countries have already 
been gathering valuable data on human trafficking but the 
dissemination of the data gathered is rather slow.  In order 
to disseminate results of the research, generate discussions 
and brainstorming about future practical steps, and to future 
activities in the field, a regional seminar will be organized 
in Istanbul.  The Seminar will bring together 50 participants 
from the former Soviet States and the international 
community, including NGOs as well as governmental 
representatives.  The Seminar will be an opportunity to 
present the results of the completed researches, and outline 
and elaborate further practical steps in combating 
trafficking in women in the region.  Special emphasis will be 
made on enhancing cooperation between governmental entities 
and NGOs in the region, as well as enhanced networking 
between NGOs.  The Regional Seminar will be organized 
together with the British Council, IOM, OSI, Kadikoy 
Municipality and HRDF. 
 
A second meeting at the end of first year for the evaluation 
of the activities implemented will be held for approximately 
50 participants from different countries.  The results of the 
evaluation will be disseminated to the organizations 
participating in the project activities.  The last meeting 
with the participation of the first meeting's participants 
will be held in Istanbul for the general evaluation of the 
project implementation and for the determination of the 
future activities. 
 
b. Although the recent amendments on the Turkish Penal Code 
defines human trafficking as a separate crime and offers some 
possibilities for the victim, the government officers have 
little information on the subject.  They mostly regard the 
victim as an illegal prostitute and start deportation 
immediately without taken into consideration of humanitarian 
aspects of the issue.  Training for the government officers 
on human trafficking will help to identify and support the 
victims of human trafficking as well as penalize the 
perpetrators. 
 
The eight training courses for the police and customs 
officers will take place at Istanbul (3), Izmir, Trabzon, 
Antalya, Ankara and Van for 160 participants.  An 
international consultant from the British Council will 
facilitate the meetings.  The training will be for two days 
and not more than 20 participants will be trained in each 
course.  The issues that will be discussed during the 
training sessions will be as follow: 
 
Office of Migration (IOM) and to inform the said 
organizations about the activities and present 
implementations of Turkey in this field. 
The responsibilities of the Interior: 
 
1.    To support the HRDF for the national and international 
efforts detailed below and future necessities about combating 
human trafficking in Turkey and in the region, 
 
2.    To inform the HRDF when a victim of human trafficking 
is arrested or during his/her investigation, trial, house 
arrest or before s/he is deported and to facilitate interview 
process of the HRDF representatives with the victims.  To 
assist the mentioned victims to take advantage of the health 
and legal services that will be provided by HRDF, 
 
3.    To provide the victims of human trafficking to take 
utmost advantage of the counseling and shelter units, 
established by HRDF, 
 
4.    To provide collaboration of the units, established by 
HRDF, with the related non-governmental organizations in the 
countries of the victims of human trafficking before they are 
deported.  To provide the security of human trafficking 
victims, transportation operations that will be supported by 
the funds received, 
 
5.    To provide the security of counseling and shelter units 
established by HRDF and the staff working in the programme, 
 
6.    To evaluate the denunciations on human trafficking 
issued from the regional countries as an outcome of the 
network established by HRDF; to take the necessary action for 
the denunciations reported via the units established by HRDF, 
 
7.    To provide trainers for the training about Turkish and 
international laws and regulations on human trafficking that 
will be organized by HRDF experts and also to enhance the 
participation of the police officers, who are in need of 
these trainings, 
 
8.    To participate in the national and international 
monitoring and evaluation activities of the programme that 
will be developed, 
 
9.    To support the communication of the staff working in 
the units established by HRDF with the police officers 
working in the departments of Public Security and Foreigners, 
and to facilitate the access of the staff in these 
departments.  END TEXT. 
 
G. (U) Turkey borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, 
Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as EU member Greece.  Istanbul 
has a large international airport.  Other international ports 
of entry by land, sea, and air include Adana, Ankara, 
Antalya, Izmir, Erzurum, Sarp, and Trabzon. Although the 
government expends considerable law enforcement resources to 
monitor its vast and remote borders, it is not always 
successful.  Contacts report, however, that the overwhelming 
majority of trafficking victims and other foreign women who 
engage in prostitution enter Turkey legally, either by 
obtaining at Turkish Embassies abroad permission to work or, 
more commonly, by obtaining, and overstaying short-term visas 
at the Turkish port of entry.  Turkey has adopted a liberal 
visa regime with governments that emerged after the fall of 
the Soviet Union to encourage trade and tourism.  Women who 
are deported for prostitution return to Turkey repeatedly, 
according to police.  Turkish police assert that corrupt 
government officials or organized criminals in many source 
countries contribute to the problem by helping women obtain 
fake or altered travel documents. 
 
H. (U) Ambassador Murat Ersavci, Director General for 
Consular Affairs at the Turkish MFA, is the National 
Coordinator for the GOT's Counter Trafficking Task Force.  In 
December 2004, Akif Ayhan replaced Haldun Otman as Taskforce 
Deputy Director. The Taskforce, chaired by the MFA since its 
establishment in 2002, is composed of representatives from 
the Ministries of Health, Interior, Justice, and Labor, plus 
the Directorate General for Social Services and Child 
Protection, the Directorate General on the Status and 
Problems of Women, scholars from Marmara University, and the 
Human Resources Development Foundation (HRDF).  The Taskforce 
is closed to international organizations (e.g. UN, IOM), 
foreign government missions (e.g. U.S. Embassy Ankara, 
Embassy of Belarus), and members of the press.  The Task 
Force met two times in 2004, in February and October, though 
committees with specific anti-trafficking agendas (hotlines, 
shelter, public information campaign) reportedly met more 
frequently.  In March 2003, the Taskforce recommended and the 
government adopted a National Action Plan for TIP. 
 
I. (U) In addition to IOM, the GOT participates in 
anti-trafficking initiatives through the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Southeast European 
Cooperative Initiative (SECI), the Council of Europe, the 
European Union, NATO, the International Center for Migration 
Policy Development (ICMPD), Interpol, Europol, the Stability 
Pact Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings, and the 
United Nations High Commission on Refugees.  In 2003 and 
2004, the GOT submitted draft protocols proposing bilateral 
anti-TIP cooperation with Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, 
Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine (see para I in 
Overview section).  Only Belarus responded. 
 
J. (U) See para G in Overview section.  The government's 
National Countertrafficking Taskforce developed and adopted a 
National Action Plan on TIP in March 2003. 
 
K. (U) MFA Director General for Consular Affairs Murat 
Ersavci spearheads the GOT's anti-trafficking initiatives and 
chairs the government's National Countertrafficking 
Taskforce. 
EDELMAN