GOT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR 2003 TIP

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