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