US embassy cable - 05ANKARA900

UNCLAS ANKARA 000900 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, INL/CTR, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, PGOV, SMIG, PREF, KWMN, TU, TIP IN TURKEY 
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: IOM TRAINS EAST EUROPEAN, RUSSIAN 
AND CENTRAL ASIAN EMBASSY REPS 
 
REF: A) 04 ANKARA 6865 
 
1. (U) On February 4, the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) conducted a seminar on trafficking in persons 
(TIP) for embassy officials from Eastern Europe, Russia, and 
Central Asia.  Representatives from the embassies of Romania, 
Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, 
Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan were present, as was Iskender 
Okyay, head of the Illegal Migration department at the 
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The countries in 
attendance have been identified by IOM Ankara as the source 
countries for the vast majority of TIP cases uncovered in 
Turkey in 2004.  This was the first seminar of its kind aimed 
at increasing knowledge and cooperation of the embassies 
dealing with most of the repatriation cases for victims of 
trafficking (VOTs) in Turkey. 
 
2. (U) During the seminar, IOM Ankara Chief of Mission 
Marielle Sander-Lindstrom and Project Director Meltem Ersoy 
explained the trafficking process and shared statistics on 
VOTs in Turkey.  They also explained the distinctions between 
human trafficking and migrant smuggling.  Ms. Ersoy outlined 
the typical victim's profile and listed the kinds of 
assistance available to VOTs in Turkey.  She then discussed 
some of the ways in which the victims' respective embassies 
and the IOM can cooperate to provide direct assistance, such 
as  facilitating issuance of travel documents, taking an 
active role in identifying and assisting victims they come 
across, and pushing for adoption of bilateral protocols for 
law enforcement cooperation on trafficking cases.  Ms. 
Sander-Lindstrom appealed to the officials present for 
assistance in providing Russian (and English) language 
training for police, jandarma, and other bodies in Turkey 
that come into contact with trafficking victims. 
 
3. (SBU) Ms. Sander-Lindstrom told us she was extremely 
gratified by the turnout and promises of future cooperation 
resulting from the event.  She was particularly pleased with 
the interest shown by the Belarusian, Russian, and Kyrgyz 
consuls.  In the past, she indicated, the Russians had not 
been as responsive as she would have preferred, so the 
current interest was a welcome change.  She warmly welcomed 
the initiative shown by Belarus as well; Belarus was the 
first country to sign a bilateral protocol on cooperation on 
anti-TIP efforts with Turkey (see reftel A), and has also 
engaged local attorneys (in exchange for 25% of any judgments 
awarded) to pursue a high-profile TIP case involving a victim 
who died trying to escape her traffickers in 2004.  Following 
the seminar, MFA Illegal Migration Department Head Iskender 
Okyay received word that Ukraine was prepared to sign a 
protocol on anti-TIP cooperation as well (Moldova had also 
previously agreed to sign a protocol).  The seminar also 
netted some concrete advances for IOM Ankara in its 
anti-trafficking efforts.  All of the embassies present 
pledged to provide travel documents free of charge for their 
citizens who are identified as VOTs.  In addition, they 
expressed interest in forming a continuing working-group, as 
well as in supporting a similar seminar for officials at 
their consulates in Istanbul.  According to Ms. 
Sander-Lindstrom, the success of the seminar exceeded all her 
expectations. 
EDELMAN