TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, November 16-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ANKARA 007255 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: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, November 16- 30, 2005 ¶1. 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. Published in the November 8th edition of Yeni Aktuel magazine: TITLE: Hotline 157 Saves Natashas BEGIN TEXT: One hundred ninety-eight women from the Eastern Bloc, who were lured into prostitution, were saved through the 157 Hotline. The IOM project became a hope for those who were brought with promises of a job, but were dragged into prostitution and who were diminutively labeled as Natashas. Selin Unal, Project Coordinator, said that human traffickers get only 2-4 years, rather than 8-12. The 157 Hotline is a toll-free number that can be called 24 hours a day. Eastern Bloc citizen women, who are regarded as "easy" and "willing" by Turkish men, and who are regarded as an easy target, are being warned at the customs gates against the prostitution threat. On the posters at passport control and the information cards placed in their passports, risks of human trafficking are listed briefly. Those who get into trouble are asked to call 157. This hotline has saved the lives of 198 women, but the result is far from what was expected. We talked to IOM Project Coordinator Selin Unal concerning the problems of implementation, despite the fact that new laws were adopted in which human trafficking was defined for the first time. Q: Which is the method used most for luring these women (who later) call 157? A: Almost all of these women are from the Ukraine, Moldova and Russia of the former Soviet Union. They are trying to live under very minimum standards and with 30 USD a month. They all have families and children. They cannot find a job in their own country. They are offered very good jobs. They are promised, "You will earn from 100-200 USD and serve as waitresses, nannies or barmaids." They have no chance of checking these promises. This is a way out and they regard Turkey as a land of opportunity with high standards. When they arrive, they realize what they were told was not true. Q: What do they see when they arrive in Turkey? A: There are travel and accommodation expenditures. They eat, drink and smoke. In other words, they are asked to pay the "debt." She is powerless and already came to earn money. They are told, "You will pay your debt through prostitution and later if you like you can stay in this sector and earn money." They hear threats such as, "We may hurt your family and kill your child." They are subject to a lot of violence and undergo trauma. Q: Are there ties between members of organized crime and brothels? A: In our country prostitution is legal, but for Turkish citizens. In other words, you cannot see foreign women in brothels. Certainly there might be those who are employed and they, too, can call us. We will be involved in the plight of a woman who calls 157 from a brothel as well. Q: Why are you keeping the location of the two shelters you opened as a secret? A: Human trafficking is a global problem. When victims arrive, they are victims at an international level since they are not Turkish citizens. For security concerns, the location of the shelters is kept secret. Law enforcement officials seriously protect these women. Q: What are the conditions for victims to be sent back to their countries? A: A victim reaches us by calling 157. We give her address to the law enforcement officials of the relevant province. At that stage we cannot do anything else. We serve as a bridge. The Jandarma or the police save the victim. Victims first meet with officials at the Foreigner's Department and later get together with the IOM. Our colleagues meet with victims and determine their needs. They might be sick or subject to violence. They might need psychological support due to trauma. Taking all these things into consideration, emergency help is provided. They are taken into shelters. The Health Ministry had a circular dated 2004. The needs of the victims of human trafficking are provided free of charge by the state. They are provided with an honorable return back to their countries. Q: What is an honorable return home? A: Turkey provides a humanitarian visa to victims of human trafficking to stay up to six months. In the meantime, we prepare their travel documents. We get in touch with the IOM in their country and accompany the victim to the aircraft. When the victim gets off the plane, she is met by a representative of IOM. If she agrees, she is hosted at shelters in her country where a rehabilitation program is available because it is not possible for them to overcome such trauma overnight. Q: How many victims are fully rehabilitated? A: Only 30 percent fully recover; the rest live with this nightmare forever. Q: Who provides your finances? A: We get our funds from the U.S. and Turkish Governments. The U.S. government provides around USD 600,000. The Turkish Government provides USD 100,000, along with shelters and the toll free 157 hotline and coordination. Q: The "Zaman" newspapers and "Aksiyon" magazine reported that it was the AKP that financed this project. A: Wrong information. We need to correct this. The coordination is being provided through the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Justice Ministries. You cannot say that this is provided by a single party because there is no such thing. Q: How is the implementation of the law on human trafficking? A: Turkey could define human trafficking only in 2002 after signing the Palermo Protocol. In the law that went into effect on June 1, 2005, human trafficking is mentioned in Article 80. It requires imprisonment from eight to 12 years. But there are two other articles: Article 91 is about "organ trade." Paragraph three of Article 227 of the TPC refers to bringing women from abroad for the sake of prostitution. It requires imprisonment from two to four years. Since the judges might be thinking that the punishment for Article 80 is too severe, they are inclined to carry out the trial based on Article 227. This is the impression that many judges at the Justice Ministry share. Q: How did human trafficking come on the agenda like this? A: In the report that the U.S. published in 2002, Turkey was in Tier 3, where there was no fight against human trafficking. There are countries that show an effort in Tier 2. And those countries that have no such problem are in Tier 1. The same year Turkey signed the Palermo Protocol and thus recognized human trafficking. Seeing that Turkey was in Tier 3 in the U.S. report, an action plan was drafted and in the report Turkey moved to Tier 2. Q: Does this have anything to do with Turkey's EU process? A: This is a human rights violation and no one should tie the fight against human trafficking to this. Today many countries in the same situation are trying to find a solution to the problem. Q: Why are you working on this issue? A: I am doing my post-graduate studies on social gender and women's issues. I wanted for a long time to be part of a program to protect women and children. When you look at the statistics on human trafficking, you notice that most of the victims are women. But one should not think that there are no men. Being kept in a small room with no ventilation, with little food and threats in a country whose language you cannot speak and you do not know where to go and having no say over your own body is very vulgar. This is the very cold face of a human rights violation. The Moldovan (31) - Alone with Six Clients I was born in Moldova in 1974. I have two kids. I had economic problems. A girlfriend told me that I could earn good money as a dancer in Turkey. Earlier I worked as a dancer in Slovenia and had no problems. I was planning to work for a while in Turkey, earn money and return home. My friend in Turkey who offered me a job provided the plane ticket, passport and all expenses. They told me that a person named Veysel would meet me at the Antalya airport. I thought that he would take me to the place where I would work. But Veysel took me to a village cottage in Antalya. He took away my passport. There was a woman from Moldova at that house. She told me that I was brought there to work in prostitution. When I objected and wanted to return home, I was frightened and subject to all kinds of pressure at gunpoint. They told me that I did not have any other option but to be killed. Clients were coming to the cottage. There were a few other women in the same situation in the cottage. Once when there were three women, nine clients came. One of the women left with one man and the other with two. I had to be with the remaining six. One day the Moldovan woman took me to a client at a hotel. I called the La Strada hotline that is run by NGOs in Moldova for human trafficking victims. La Strada told me to call 157. I called 157 and told the operation the address and my condition. The 157 operator called the police hotline in Antalya. They saved me from the hotel that I was in. I was taken to the human trafficking victims' shelter in Istanbul. I told IOM officials that I was willing to go back home. The IOM provided me with my ticket and travel expenses. They enabled me to go back home. The Ukrainian (23) - When they could not sell her in Istanbul, she was taken to Ankara I was born in 1982 in the Ukraine. I have a daughter who is one and a half years old. I am separated from my husband and live with my mother. We were both unemployed. A man told my girlfriend who was born in 1984 that he could find us jobs as waitresses in Turkey and that we could earn good money. My friend introduced me to this man. He made arrangements for us to travel to Turkey. A Turkish man met us at the Istanbul airport. He took us shopping and bought us flashy night dresses. When we asked, he said that we were in debt to him and that we would pay him back by serving as prostitutes. When we did not agree, he said that we did not have any other option. We were very scared. We cried and wanted to go back, but they did not allow us. When they could not sell us in Istanbul, they told us that we were not suitable for Istanbul and sold us to Ankara. We were taken to Ankara and began to work. We were looking for a way out. But all avenues were closed. My friend called her boyfriend one day in the Ukraine and asked for help. He called the hotline in Moldova and they told him that we should call 157 in Turkey. We did. The 157 operator called the police hotline and we were saved from a hotel in Ankara. The IOM enabled us to return home. The Moldovan (18) - With six men a day I came to Turkey to serve as a nanny. A friend of mine made the arrangements. I knew some people who went to Turkey to work and returned with jewelry and expensive clothing. Then I had a daughter who was 19 months old. I lived with my brother and mother. Our living conditions were very bad and I had to work. I arrived in Istanbul in September 2004. I served as a nanny for a week. I was told that I owed 1500 USD because of my expenses. They locked me up in an apartment and took away my passport. After a week I noticed that the woman who locked me up was sleeping. I escaped and went to the police. The IOM helped me return home. When I returned to Moldova, we had no money. I could not buy enough food for my daughter. When my neighbor offered me a job in Turkey, I came back in August 2005. I was forced to be with six people a day. Seven other women were in the same situation. I managed to escape, but since I was scared, I did not give the names and addresses of the traffickers. The representatives of IOM in Ankara and in Chisinau have been in touch with the Interior Ministry for me and my family's safety. END TEXT. ¶3. Published by Prime news (http://eng.primenewsonline.com) on Monday, November 21: TITLE: A Woman Detained On Charges Of Human Trafficking BEGIN TEXT: Tblisi. November 21 (Prime-News) - The officials of the anti-trafficking sub department of the special operative department of the ministry of internal affairs of Georgia detained M. Alapidze, 1955, on charges of human trafficking on Monday. An official of the ministry told Prime-News that M. Alapidze used to lure women to Turkey on the promise of employment. Once there, she sold the women, who then were sexually exploited. Ms. Alapidze has been charged with human trafficking. END TEXT. ¶4. Reported by Cumhuriyet on Tuesday, November 22: TITLE: Seven arrested for forcing prostitution BEGIN TEXT: Forty-seven-year-old N.S., who lives the Meydancik area of Bursa, was captured by security forces after reports that she forced her 13 year-old daughter A.C. into prostitution. Thirteen people, including a teacher, were taken into custody, after security forces were informed that the young girl was engaged in such activity. After interrogation, six people were set free, and mother N.A. and M.D., K.K., M.E., Y.K., A.A., O.K. and A.G. were arrested. A.C. reported that her mother forced her into prostitution. She was sent to the children's section where her relatives would pick her up. END TEXT. ¶5. Reported by the Anadolu Ajansi on Thursday, November 24: TITLE: Forcing foreign women into prostitution . . . Twenty-seven foreign women who were forced into prostitution were saved in 23 operations in Antalya following calls to the 157 hotline introduced in May. BEGIN TEXT: Twenty-seven foreign women who were forced into prostitution in Antalya were saved in 23 operations following calls to the 157 Hotline, which was established in May. According to information that AA obtained, the 157 hotline, which was made operational this year in May under the coordination of the MFA, led to major success in the fight of the security forces for the plight of foreign women, in particular from the former East Bloc countries, who were forced into prostitution. According to information provided by the Antalya Police Public Order Department, by evaluating the calls into the 157 hotline, they conducted 23 separate operations since May following investigations opened in the provincial capital. In the operations, 27 victims, who are from Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Azerbaijan and who were involved in prostitution, were saved by police. The officials also noted that in these operations, 101 people were detained, including 17 who were arrested for human trafficking. Officials also noted that in the operations where victims were saved, another 36 women who were not victims and were willingly involved in prostitution, too, were detained. They were deported. The police also noted that they looked into six Turkish women for being involved in prostitution. They noted that the police were working around the clock to prevent prostitution. END TEXT. ¶6. Published by Hurriyet on Friday, November 25: TITLE: Nine sex slaves in cell house BEGIN TEXT: Police teams, after receiving a tip that prostitution was being conducted in a condominium in Obakoy, Alanya, carried out a raid on the place after obtaining the permission of the public prosecutor. Police could not find anybody except a man at the home. The police thought the tip was false until they searched the home carefully, moved a wardrobe closet and noticed a hole in the wall behind it. When the police went into the hall that was shut off by furniture, they found themselves in the next door apartment and saw nine women, including a Turk. The women, who reportedly were forced into prostitution, and the man who reportedly was selling them were taken to the Police Public Order Department. A woman pimp, P.S., who used the nickname "Isil" was also detained. END TEXT. ¶7. Reported by Zaman on Saturday, November 26. NOTE: This report is correct in reporting the Ankara shelter has been opened and was a project of the Ankara Municipality, but the fact that it is a refugee shelter run by IOM and will only be open for two years is incorrect. It is for victims of trafficking, run by the Foundation for Women's Solidarity (an NGO) and will be open indefinitely. END NOTE. TITLE: A shelter will open in Ankara for refugees BEGIN TEXT: A shelter is opening in Ankara for women refugees. The shelter project, taken up by the Metropolitan Municipality Assembly, was adopted unanimously. The shelter will become operational according to a joint project by the International Office for Migration (IOM) and the Metropolitan Municipality of Ankara. It will provide temporary shelter for women refugees. Ankara, too, has started to work in order to meet the requirements of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Fight Against Cross-Border Crimes to prevent human trafficking involving women and children. A shelter will be opened for women refugees who fled their homes and live thousands of kilometers away. Thus, especially the plight of women brought from Africa would be prevented. Women who are determined to be victims of human trafficking by the IOM and the Interior Ministry will find temporary refuge here. Hot meals will be served for shelter residents. Victims will stay for at least six months or until their humanitarian visa issued by the Turkish National Police expire. The location of the shelter will be kept a secret. The municipality will provide maintenance for the shelter. It will also provide natural gas and water. The Municipality Hospital will give medical services to the refugees. The IOM will administer the shelter. The IOM will control entry and exits, as well as meet the food, social, legal and psychological needs of the refugees. The shelter will remain open for two years. END TEXT. ¶8. Published by Aksam on Monday, November 28: TITLE: Sex slaves are thrown into basement BEGIN TEXT: It was discovered that women from eastern Europe who are used as sex slaves in Britain are kept in underground shelters in Macedonia before they are taken to Britain. The British "Telegraph" newspaper reported that slavery of the Middle Ages was continuing in the 21st century. According to the newspaper report, the Albanian prostitution gangs were luring women by offering jobs such as being a waitress or an au-pair, but actually were marketing them as sex slaves. Women coming from countries such as Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria are kept in stuffy secret shelters with no heating and lighting before they are sold in gangs to western countries. Women are being purchased for 1400 Euros in Romania and are forced into prostitution in Macedonia before being taken to Britain. Women are taken out of the shelters and see daylight only when they practice prostitution. END TEXT. WILSON