TIP IN TURKEY: MEDIA ATTENTION, NOVEMBER 1-10, 2004

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 ANKARA 006393 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF TU TIP IN TURKEY SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: MEDIA ATTENTION, NOVEMBER 1-10, 2004 ¶1. (U) In response to G/TIP inquiries, national and international media sources published the following news articles about TIP in Turkey. Text of articles originally published in Turkish is provided through unofficial local FSN translation. ¶2. (U) Published November 10, 2004 by the Jerusalem Post: TITLE: In Foreign Parts BEGIN TEXT: The fact that a successful sex industry is thriving in Israel is obvious to anyone who looks at the sections of the newspapers offering escort, massage and "health" services in every possible language. The media that was supposed to expose the connection between Mafia money and prostitution, and its attempts to buy government officials in order to realize the interests of organized crime, have themselves become a beneficiary of the pimping business. But only a few of the readers of those unsavory sections of the newspaper are aware that Israel has become a trafficking center in which women are imprisoned and turned into sex slaves in sub-human conditions. In Ilana Hammerman's latest expose, In Foreign Parts, some of the testimonies she records are shocking to read: women testify that they were locked up without food, were subject to threats and physical and emotional abuse, and were humiliated and put through harrowing work in the sex-service industry. With all of the focus on the plight of the victim, one deficiency of the book has to do with the profile of the typical client. Hammerman, an esteemed literary editor and gifted writer, leaves him as an anonymous figure, merely providing an indirect sketch of the group profile. The general impression is that there is wide demand from a very broad range of socio-economic levels and ages. "I had a very famous rabbi who would come and order a girl to have sex with him in the doggie position, and would ask her to bark," a former brothel owner testified at a parliamentary committee. One of the working women, presented as a devout Christian, expresses an aversion to her religious clients: "They had a big black hat and under it a little black hat and they were real perverts." 
 What most impressed Hammerman, however, was that the clients and the business owners tended to present themselves as "upright citizens," and while some of the recipients of their services are aware of the prostitutes' distress and try to rescue them, the vast majority views them as mere service providers. IN A journey to Moldova, the author meets two women, Maria and Masha, who worked as prostitutes in Israel for some time. The two, who speak fluent Hebrew, are glad to meet her, and according to their testimony remember their time herein a very positive light: "They told me right away it was fun in Israel, a real paradise; they had a good time, traveled, went to the beach, ate at good restaurants - and of course made money, lots of money." Through their eyes, the experience in Israel, viewed retrospectively, looks plainly wonderful. Maria testifies that she worked in the sex trade in Germany and Turkey before she came to Israel, where she describes conditions as excellent. Interestingly, though, both speakers emphasize the family dimension of their personal enterprise. One of the most fascinating elements of these anecdotes is the strong and surprising resemblance between the emphasis on family in the prostitutes' consciousness and in the testimonies of the owners and clients of the local brothels. In other words, both sides - the one usually described as the victim, and the other usually described as the exploiter - sound like enthusiastic proponents of family sanctity. All of their actions day and night are presented as supposedly aimed at one supreme pure purpose - the preservation of very bourgeois family values. The two women the author met in Moldova provide testimony that is actually the opposite of the enlightened discourse; they announce that they chose this career consciously, and do not view themselves as victims. Both are interested in continuing to work overseas - one as a caretaker and the other as a stripper, and both continue dreaming of family and children. Masha excitedly presents her picture album, a memento of the days she worked in Israel, and it appears her parents and family are aware of her work here and accept it with resignation. General information about the dimensions of the phenomenon in Moldova reveals that large numbers of women are trafficked for prostitution, that Israel is a prominent target country, and that often the young women come back in an impaired emotional state, socially ostracized and bereft of marriage prospects because of their past. The local rate for sex services at the Chisinau train station is about NIS 0.70 for a blowjob, and that illustrates the huge price gap between the homeland and export countries. In most cases the prostitutes do not benefit from the costliness of the service they provide overseas, because most of the payment goes to the pimps and sponsors. ONE OF the strong points of the book is the author's ability to meet the women who are the protagonists of her narrative, portraying them as complex individuals with inner lives that sometimes include literary and artistic talent. The first and quite interesting meeting was between Hammerman and a young Russian-born prostitute named Tania, who has been living in Israel for a long time and who has documented her experiences in writing and in painting. She has had varied professional experiences, ranging from horrible brothels to upper- scale ones where she made large sums of money, and which she considers "excellent" places of employment. After being sold into prostitution in Israel and working in that world for years, Tania was arrested and locked up. Now she finally feels she will be able to extricate herself from the vicious world she has inhabited for so long. A former prostitute named Olga, who currently lives with her Arab Israeli partner from Jaffa, told the author she was forced to work in a brothel after she was invited to Israel by a friend who promised to help her find a job. But the indictment against the man who sold her into prostitution says the two were engaged in "a romantic relationship" as the judge put it, and that the former had suggested she come to Israel to work as a dancer, stripper and prostitute. Katia, another young girl Hammerman met in the care of the "Save the Children" association in Chisinau, kept a diary of her experiences in Israel. Her testimony shows that she was solicited by a local woman to come to Israel to work as a caretaker and cleaner, but even before she left she was aware of the real goal of such a business trip. She was smuggled from Egypt through the desert, raped by one of the importers, forced to work in prostitution and held by force. She managed to escape and go to the police and after staying at a shelter for battered women she returned to her country and came back to visit Israel only to testify at the trial of the man who imprisoned her. Segments of her story appear in the book in a translation from the Romanian and they document a humiliating experience that reflects the abuse and dehumanization experienced by many of the women involved in the Israeli sex industry. THIS IS an important book, but often an embarrassing one, because again and again it reveals the troubling gap between enlightened discourse on the issue and findings on the ground that paint a complex and very problematic picture. Not only is prostitution not part of a marginal back yard in Israeli society, but it turns out to be a profitable and thriving business located in its front yard, and one that is apparently tangent to the axis between organized crime, laundered capital, and senior government. Readers might have liked to see the phenomenon as part of a dark and obscure world that stands at the opposite pole of normal family life. But the prostitutes, their clients and the owners alike talk about a fierce yearning for family, a yearning that is repeated so obsessively that it seems prostitution and warm family lives are inextricably linked. The women activists, who justifiably wish to come to the prostitutes' rescue, seek to present the full horror of the Israeli sex industry, and in that respect there is no doubt these women are the victims not only of the system, but of a global meat market that traffics in body parts and bodies. Disturbingly, though, the testimonies show that very often the women are willing victims, serial and habitual victims, and victims who often cooperate with their pimps and members of organized crime. At the end of a fascinating personal and documentary journey, the writer has to admit that she entered "these gray regions of trafficking in women that still today, after all the efforts I have made, the trips and the conversations, remain foreign and incomprehensible to me." This important book ought to generate social and legislative change and raise awareness of the appalling phenomenon. Yet it seems that at times it was hard for Hammerman to deal with the gap between reality and the enlightened view of the way things should be done as she tried to bridge the gaps that emerged from the women's testimonies through personal and literary contemplation. The research that started here is indicative of the need for further and more intensive examination of the socio-economic system that drives the industry, and the dark mingling of capital, police-organized crime, prostitution and Israeli party politics. END TEXT. ¶3. (U) Published November 10, 2004 by Turkish language Anatolia News Agency: TITLE: BOAT CARRYING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SINKS OFF IZMIR KILLING NINE BEGIN TEXT: IZMIR (A.A) - Nine illegal migrants died and three others were rescued when the boat carrying 20 people sank off Doganbey hamlet of Seferihisar town in western city of Izmir on Wednesday. Seferihisar Sub-Governor Mehmet Godekmerdan told the A.A that the boat which possibly departed from the coast in Menderes town capsized and sank. Bodies of 9 illegal migrants were found in a coast near Doganbey. Godekmerdan added, 'three illegal migrants have reached coast by swimming. Investigation continues. There is an information that the boat was carrying 20 people.' Godekmerdan added that there were 1 Turkish citizen, 6 Somalians and 13 Mauritanians aboard the boat, stating that they were trying to sneak into Greece. Coast guards and gendarmery continue efforts to identify the bodies. END TEXT. ¶4. (U) Published November 9, 2004 by Turkish language Anatolia News Agency: TITLE: TURKISH POLICE ARREST 63 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN AMASYA BEGIN TEXT: AMASYA (A.A) - 09.11.2004 - Turkish police arrested 63 illegal migrants in Tasova town of northern city of Amasya, sources said on Tuesday. Sources said police, acting on a tip-off, searched a lorry parked at a gas station on Amasya-Tasova highway, and captured 63 Pakistanis who had entered Turkey clandestinely. The sources noted that also two Turks, including the lorry driver, were detained in the operation. The illegal migrants would be deported after legal proceedings were completed, the same sources added. END TEXT. ¶5. (U) Published November 5, 2004 by the Reuters: TITLE: UK, German police smash people-smuggling network. BEGIN TEXT: LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - British and German police arrested 13 people in co-ordinated raids on Thursday to smash what they said was a gang smuggling people from Turkey to the UK. Detectives from London's Metropolitan Police arrested eight people in London and south-east England, while officers in Hamburg and Cologne held five after searching nine addresses, Scotland Yard said. Immigration police mounted raids in other parts of Europe, Scotland Yard added, declining to give further details. The London detainees are being questioned over the alleged trafficking of people between Turkey and Britain. "The arrests follow a twelve-month intelligence-led operation," said Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, head of Scotland Yard's Specialist Crime Directorate. "Working with our European colleagues in this way has enabled us to take out an entire human trafficking network, from route to source," he added. Police believe the gang has brought hundreds of Turkish people illegally into Britain in the last few years, through Germany, France and Belgium. On arrival in London, they are exploited to provide cheap labour for cafes and take-away food outlets, police said. Turks need to obtain visas or work permits before they can come to the UK legally. END TEXT. ¶6. (U) Published November 4, 2004 by the Independent (UK): TITLE: Eight held as police target human trafficking ring; By Nick Allen, Crime Correspondent BEGIN TEXT: Police today made a series of raids over a human trafficking gang thought to be responsible for smuggling hundreds of Turkish people into Britain in the past few years. The illegal immigrants were brought in by air, road and sea through Germany, France and Belgium. Eight alleged members of the gang were arrested in raids in London this morning. Further raids were launched by immigration police on the continent and they arrested more suspects. Five people were held in raids on nine addresses in Hamburg and Cologne in Germany. The crackdown was a year in the planning and was part of Scotland Yard's ongoing effort - codenamed Operation Maxim - against human trafficking. On arrival in London the illegal immigrants were being exploited to provide cheap labour in cafes and takeaways in London and elsewhere. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, head of the Yard's specialist crime directorate, said: "Today's operation is a further example of our commitment to tackling organised immigration crime that has a devastating effect upon London's communities. "The arrests follow a 12-month intelligence-led operation, which has seen unprecedented co-operation between the Metropolitan Police, United Kingdom Immigration Service, our counterparts in Germany and with other European law enforcement agencies." The eight suspects were arrested just after 6am during raids in Surrey, southwest and southeast London. Police are still searching businesses connected to the suspects. Mr Ghaffur said: "Working with our European colleagues in this way has enabled us to take out an entire human trafficking network from route to source. "Pan-European operations of this type can be very successful and we expect to be mounting more of these in the future. "We are now working more closely than ever with an increasing number of European law enforcement agencies. "We continue to target the facilitators and criminal entrepreneurs who cause misery on many levels, mostly within their own communities. "We are increasingly using new legislation to take criminal assets from those who engage in the movement of people for illicit purposes. "Many of the crimes impact directly on the diverse communities of London and by arresting these people we are making London a safer city for all its inhabitants." Immigration minister Des Browne said: "This operation is a real success for the Immigration Service in its joint work with the police. "It sends a clear message that those seeking to abuse our immigration system will be caught and prosecuted. "The UK welcomes all foreign nationals who come to the UK legitimately - as visitors, students or workers - with the intention of making a contribution. "However, we will take tough action on people here illegally and those who make money by facilitating them. "This kind of racket undermines the confidence of local people and we are determined to ensure we disrupt and prosecute those responsible." END TEXT. ¶7. (U) Published November 4, 2004 by BBC NEWS: TITLE: Human smuggling racket 'smashed' BEGIN TEXT: A gang that is thought to have smuggled hundreds of Turkish people into London has been smashed, police have said. Thirteen people were arrested on Thursday as raids were carried out in London, Hamburg and Cologne. Scotland Yard said they are being questioned over the alleged trafficking of people between Turkey and the UK. The illegal immigrants, thought to have been brought in by air, road and sea, were exploited as cheap labour in cafes and takeaways in London and elsewhere. The Metropolitan Police and European immigration officers joined forces for operation Maxim which has been more than a year in the planning. Eight people were arrested after dawn raids in Surrey, south, west and south-east London. Police are continuing to search these addresses. A further five people were arrested by immigration officials in Hamburg and Cologne. Met Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said: "Working with our European colleagues enabled us to take out an entire human trafficking network; from route to source. "We continue to target the facilitators and criminal entrepreneurs who cause misery on many levels, mostly within their own communities. Tough action "Many of the crimes impact directly on the diverse communities of London. By arresting these people we are making London a safer city for all its inhabitants." Immigration Minister for the UK, Des Browne, said the success of the operation "sends a clear message that those seeking to abuse our immigration system will be caught and prosecuted. "We will take tough action on people here illegally and those who make money by facilitating them. "This kind of racket undermines the confidence of local people and we are determined to ensure we disrupt and prosecute those responsible." END TEXT. ¶8. (U) Published November 3, 2004 by Turkish language Anatolian News Agency: VAN Jandarma carried out an operation in rural areas of Van and near the Basegmez vilage they spotted a crowded group of people walking outside the village. The Jandarma checked their IDs and found out that these were 20 Afghanis and Pakistanis who came to Turkey through Iran through illegal means. The officials said that after the legal procedures (based on violation of the Passport Law and violating the country's borders) the illegal immigrants will be deported. An investigation is ongoing. EDIRNE In the last six days 150 foreigners and their six Turkish guides were captured in Edirne's Kesan, Ipsala, Meric and Uzunkopru townships as they wanted to leave Turkey illegally. The illegal immigrants were from Pakistan, Algeria, Tunis, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Mauritania, Somalia and Iran. The Turkish citizens were sent to the public prosecutor for being involved in human smuggling. The foreigners were sent to the Edirne police for deportation. SIIRT The Jandarma captured 50 foreign illegal immigrants in Baykan village of Siirt. As the Jandarma searched a small truck, they found 38 Pakistanis, 10 Bengalis, two Iraqis. Meanwhile, the truck driver and six others were detained. Foreigners were deported. ¶9. (U) Published November 2, 2004 in editions of nationally distributed Aksam, Cumhuriyet, Sabah, and Hurriyet Newspapers: BEGIN TEXT: Mualla Ustuner (32) sent an e-mail to Abdullah Gul's website to suggest that Turkey and Russia sign an agreement to prevent prostitution. Ustuner, who is a teacher, complained in her e-mail, "I have two children. My marriage came to an end because of a 'Natasha.' You, too, have a family. The EU countries adopted special laws against 'Natashas.' If you make such an initiative, it will be welcomed by the EU as well." She suggested to Gul that Turkey sign an agreement to prevent human trafficking and prostitution during the visit of Russian President Putin in December. END TEXT. ¶10. (U) Published November 1, 2004 by Turkish language Anatolian News Agency: TITLE: TURKISH GENDARMERY ARRESTS 67 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN AGRI BEGIN TEXT: AGRI (A.A)- Turkish gendarmery detained 67 illegal migrants in eastern city of Agri on Monday. A total of 67 Pakistanis who entered Turkey illegally were captured during controls at Tutak town of Agri. Illegal migrants will be deported after legal procedures. END TEXT. EDELMAN