Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ANKARA900
2005-02-16 16:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TIP IN TURKEY: IOM TRAINS EAST EUROPEAN, RUSSIAN

Tags:  KCRM PHUM PGOV SMIG PREF KWMN TU TIP IN TURKEY 
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UNCLAS ANKARA 000900 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, INL/CTR, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PGOV SMIG PREF KWMN TU TIP IN TURKEY
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: IOM TRAINS EAST EUROPEAN, RUSSIAN
AND CENTRAL ASIAN EMBASSY REPS

REF: A) 04 ANKARA 6865

UNCLAS ANKARA 000900

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, INL/CTR, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PGOV SMIG PREF KWMN TU TIP IN TURKEY
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: IOM TRAINS EAST EUROPEAN, RUSSIAN
AND CENTRAL ASIAN EMBASSY REPS

REF: A) 04 ANKARA 6865


1. (U) On February 4, the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) conducted a seminar on trafficking in persons
(TIP) for embassy officials from Eastern Europe, Russia, and
Central Asia. Representatives from the embassies of Romania,
Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan were present, as was Iskender
Okyay, head of the Illegal Migration department at the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The countries in
attendance have been identified by IOM Ankara as the source
countries for the vast majority of TIP cases uncovered in
Turkey in 2004. This was the first seminar of its kind aimed
at increasing knowledge and cooperation of the embassies
dealing with most of the repatriation cases for victims of
trafficking (VOTs) in Turkey.


2. (U) During the seminar, IOM Ankara Chief of Mission
Marielle Sander-Lindstrom and Project Director Meltem Ersoy
explained the trafficking process and shared statistics on
VOTs in Turkey. They also explained the distinctions between
human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Ms. Ersoy outlined
the typical victim's profile and listed the kinds of
assistance available to VOTs in Turkey. She then discussed
some of the ways in which the victims' respective embassies
and the IOM can cooperate to provide direct assistance, such
as facilitating issuance of travel documents, taking an
active role in identifying and assisting victims they come
across, and pushing for adoption of bilateral protocols for
law enforcement cooperation on trafficking cases. Ms.
Sander-Lindstrom appealed to the officials present for
assistance in providing Russian (and English) language
training for police, jandarma, and other bodies in Turkey
that come into contact with trafficking victims.


3. (SBU) Ms. Sander-Lindstrom told us she was extremely
gratified by the turnout and promises of future cooperation
resulting from the event. She was particularly pleased with
the interest shown by the Belarusian, Russian, and Kyrgyz
consuls. In the past, she indicated, the Russians had not
been as responsive as she would have preferred, so the
current interest was a welcome change. She warmly welcomed
the initiative shown by Belarus as well; Belarus was the
first country to sign a bilateral protocol on cooperation on
anti-TIP efforts with Turkey (see reftel A),and has also
engaged local attorneys (in exchange for 25% of any judgments
awarded) to pursue a high-profile TIP case involving a victim
who died trying to escape her traffickers in 2004. Following
the seminar, MFA Illegal Migration Department Head Iskender
Okyay received word that Ukraine was prepared to sign a
protocol on anti-TIP cooperation as well (Moldova had also
previously agreed to sign a protocol). The seminar also
netted some concrete advances for IOM Ankara in its
anti-trafficking efforts. All of the embassies present
pledged to provide travel documents free of charge for their
citizens who are identified as VOTs. In addition, they
expressed interest in forming a continuing working-group, as
well as in supporting a similar seminar for officials at
their consulates in Istanbul. According to Ms.
Sander-Lindstrom, the success of the seminar exceeded all her
expectations.
EDELMAN