US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1964

UNCLAS ANKARA 001964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, KFRD, PREF, ELAB, TU, TIP IN TURKEY 
SUBJECT: GOT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR 2003 TIP 
REPORT 
 
 
REF: A. (A) ANKARA 1396 
     B. (B) BOILER-LERNER 3/24 FAX 
 
 
1. Action request--para 5. 
 
 
2. March 24 MFA DDG for Consular Affairs Firat Topcuoglu 
provided us additional information for 2003 TIP report: (1) 
GOT TIP National Action Plan (NAP) and (2) GOT responses to 
TIP-related questions from post (ref B).  Both have been sent 
ref (B). 
 
 
3. Under the impact of her attendance at G/TIP-sponsored 
conference in Washington in February 2003, Topcuoglu said the 
entertainment and transportation sectors are key areas for 
future GOT anti-trafficking initiatives.  Her office has 
asked for preliminary data from a survey recently sent to all 
prosecutors and courts regarding prosecutions under new 
anti-TIP legislation passed in August 2002.  While she does 
not expect many cases have been opened yet, she hopes the USG 
will recognize the acceleration of efforts in this regard, 
since normally such statistics would not have been available 
before summer.  Estimating that the statistics may be 
available at the end of April, she requested a firm deadline 
from Washington for submission in order to make the 2003 
report. 
 
 
4. The Turkish NAP entered into effect March 6.  It 
emphasizes inter-agency coordination and highlights victim 
services.  It calls for the establishment of shelters, safe 
return of victims, establishment of emergency TIP hot-lines 
for victims, protection of witnesses or victims during court 
cases, treatment and rehabilitation of victims, establishment 
of a fund to help aid victims, and the launch of an awareness 
campaign.  It further stresses governmental initiatives aimed 
to reduce TIP and prosecute and punish TIP organizers.  These 
actions include the centralization of the issuance of work 
permits in the Ministry of Labor, improved participation of 
key law enforcement personnel in TIP training seminars, 
amendment to marriage and citizenship laws to hinder fake 
marriages, an increase in anti-TIP NGOs, and compilation of 
statistics related to TIP crimes by MOJ.  Topcuoglu 
highlighted three NGOs in Bursa, Istanbul, and Ankara trying 
to open shelters for women seeking to escape the sex trade. 
 
 
5. Topcuoglu indicated two GOT initiatives that resulted from 
conversations with regional colleagues during the February 
2003 G/TIP-sponsored conference in Washington: taking 
preventative measures in the entertainment sector and working 
with transportation officials to identify potential victims 
and traffickers en route to Turkey.  Conversations with 
Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian, Romanian, and Slovenian 
participants strengthened GOT resolve to raise work standards 
for the entertainment sector.  Topcuoglu said she is also 
going to pursue talks with the Ministry of Transportation 
regarding holding bus companies accountable for knowing who 
their passengers are on routes between Georgia and Turkey and 
Azerbaijan and Turkey.  (Comment: While these initiatives are 
in the planning stages, they highlight Topcuoglu's 
commitment, as TIP coordinator, to think beyond the normally 
narrow GOT bureaucratic approach.  End comment.) 
 
 
6. Action request: Department to provide firm date to GOT on 
when 2002 statistical data regarding TIP and TIP-related 
crimes must be provided in order to be considered for 
inclusion in this year's TIP report. 
PEARSON